Zhi Lao'Hu
by Juliet'sReplacement
Summary: When this pain in the butt, happy-go-lucky Paladin just dives into Magiya's life headfirst, it turns everything upside down. She hates him, he likes her, and hilarity ensues. But then things go impossibly, horribly wrong. Artix X OC; 2 cups of Romance, 4 tablespoons of Hurt/Comfort, and a dash of Humor. -COMPLETED-
1. Prologue

**Muahaha...**

**I'm back, dear friends, readers, reviewers, best beloveds, flamers, rainbow unicorns, croissants, and whatever else may walk this earth of ours. And may I say, since my last fanfiction, my skills have improved dramatically. :3**

**Also, during my extended vacation, I had a visit from purple kangaroos from Mars. They guided me in beginning this fanfiction. **

**Ergo, I thank all the alien purple kangaroos from Mars, as well as my wonderful Santa hat. *nods* Yup. They helped. Believe it or not. **

**Probably not.**

**But anyways... another Dragonfable, cause that game's addicting. *nods again* Now... Y'all ready?**

**Let's blow this popsicle stand!**

**Nope, that's too common...**

**Let's make like a banana and split!**

**No, too cheesy...  
><strong>

**Let's make like horse shit and hit the trail!**

**No, that's not right!**

**Uh... Let's make like hockey players and get the puck out of here!**

**No, dammit, wrong one! *you leave Juliet to her crazy mutterings as you continue to the story...***

**And yes, this chapter IS supposed to be in Italics.  
><strong>

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><p><em> It shouldn't have ended this way.<em>

_He lies across from me, entirely motionless. His face is turned partially away, so I can only see the side. The lightest brush of wind stirs the strands of copper hanging over his now-glassy eyes, usually so warm, so cheerful, gleaming with the light of fun. His thin lips are parted slightly, but no breath escapes. Everything is completely still. I manage to push myself up with my arms, mindless of my fallen and now-lost staff, and his name slips off my tongue like honey, however much I may have tried to stop it. Just like the other countless times I had said his name, coming from my mouth it sounds like everything, and yet just another name. But it wasn't. It never was. _

_"Artix…"_

_And the first of the rain begins to fall. It strikes his face, and then slowly drips off. He makes no move to wipe it away; he doesn't shift at all. He simply remains where he has fallen, as still as the stone that surrounds us both on the ground, surrounded by rubble. And the rain suddenly begins to pour down, coming down in sheets and torrents. I am frozen, both mentally and physically. The horror and sheer shock of what has befallen us keeps me still as the cold slowly seeps in with the night, and shivers begin to rack my body as the night wears on. Still the rain pours down. Still I cannot move. _

_It was never supposed to end this way. Never. Not in a thousand years. Not in anyone's lifetime. Nobody should have had to go through this, least of all him, for he was one of the people who deserved it the least. _

_Never would I have chosen for things to end this way between us. Never would I have chosen for him to be struck down by my own hand. Never would I have chosen for him to fall quite so willingly and easily, perfectly calm and at ease with what he was doing. He should never have gone in this fashion; dark red cloak in tatters; gleaming silver-and-gold armor tarnished and scratched, even dented and punctured in some places; copper-colored hair's healthy shine gone; lightly tanned skin that was visible covered in injuries and burns. _

_And it had been _my_ hand, _my _magic that had done this._

How did this happen?_ I wonder silently, as crystal-clear water that is not rain cascades down my cheeks silently. _How did we get to this point?

_Suddenly, my head snaps back, and I'm staring up at the sky, up at the rain that refuses to relent, beating down on us. The dark, steel-grey clouds mindlessly pass over us, continuing to dump their torrents of rain._

_My mouth parts slightly, as though to whisper his name again, but I cannot. The wound is still too raw. Instead, a broken, agonized, purely tortured scream of something that felt like grief but might have been torment ripped its way out of my mouth, and I physically felt my throat tear with the sheer volume and force of the cry. The copper taste of blood made its presence known in my mouth. Were I not right there at that moment, I would never have believed that I could have ever have created such a sound. It seemed to go on forever, and wave upon wave of grief and sorrow racked my body as I trembled with unsuppressed misery._

_I am Magiya, the Indigo Mage, apprentice to the Blue Mage Warlic, savior of Lore, hero to many, but monster to so many more… and this is my story._

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><p><strong>Nice little hook of a beginning, eh?<strong>


	2. Challenges

**Let's get this started.**

**Thank you to all who read this far, and I'll say now that any reviews that are left will be responded to in the next chapter. ^^ **

**eyelovefantasy: **_Thank you! :3 I hope you keep reading, I really do. ^^_

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><p>My brow furrowed as I struggled to grasp the magic, which seemed to be just beyond my reach.<p>

"Concentrate, Magiya," Warlic urged quietly in that soft, composed tone of his. It irked me to no end, how he could just sit there so calmly while I had to _endure_ this mental battle to be able to call upon my hidden magic whenever I wished. "If you can do this, it will open the doorways to sorts of magic that Mages of a higher renown than you don't know. Overwhelm the barriers."

"I'm trying," I grunted in response, feeling my tendrils of thought slip around the bubble of magic like a granite orb covered with oil. It seemed to be impossible, but I wasn't giving up _this_ easily. I gritted my teeth, realigning my mind so it flew at the little ball of magic in my head like a javelin. It simply bounced off, and my breath came out in a huff if disappointment and frustration. I crossed my arms, scowling at my mentor.

"This is so difficult!" I complained briefly, sighing before gathering my mental weapons, ready to renew the assault on the magic that seemed to lie just outside of my reach.

"Would it be any challenge to learn if it weren't?" questioned Warlic rhetorically, and my complaints subsided to a series of grumblings as I closed my eyes again, my mind abandoning the head-on attacks and slinking around what seemed to be a marble in my head, and as slick as one, too. _There has to be a hole somewhere. No barrier is impregnable._ All around me, there was utter silence as Warlic simply stood there in the near-empty field with me, allowing me to fight my own battles. A faint breeze twisted around me, toying with a strand of deep brown hair that had fallen loose from the braids I had pinned up on top of my head.

_There!_ A slight smirk tugged at the corners of my lips as I discovered a slightly weaker part of the barrier surrounding the magic I was so desperately attempting to get. A faint snarl curled my upper lip as my thoughts again hardened into a spear of sorts, and drove through the wall as though it weren't there. I exhaled suddenly at the exertion, and my eyes flew open.

"Got it!" I hissed, twitching slightly with the mental effort to hold the wall open to the magic, and not letting it snap back. Warlic smiled at my words, and dipped his head fractionally.

"Well done," he said in a perfectly neutral, unflustered tone, his amethyst eyes glittering. Warlic may have been the most powerful mage I knew (as well as my mentor), but he had, without doubt, the strangest appearance I had yet seen in Lore. Cobalt blue robes, complete with small trinkets and decorations (_all_ of which had _some_ function, I had soon discovered), and both a large glass ball of sorts and a long wooden staff set with a large emerald, based in gold. Silvery hair fell lightly across his face, covering one eye most of the time, though it sometimes was visible in brief glimpses. I grinned. Praise of any sort from Warlic was high praise indeed.

"So… what next?" I asked as I exhaled slowly, allowing the bubble of magic to slide shut. I was starting to get a slight headache. If all went as it typically did, then within an hour or so this small headache would result in a migraine that sent me into my house with all the curtains drawn. However, recently they had begun to grow less, so I was in the hope that they might eventually fade away all together with my increase of my use in magic.

"For now, nothing. Work on that until you can call it up subconsciously," Warlic told me, and I nodded once, understanding his reasoning for once. There was really nothing more advanced I could learn in the ways of magic and spells until I had mastered this. Of course, that didn't mean I had to like it. "We shall test your progress in one week. Are we agreed?"

"We are," I replied, dipping my head to him. He was still my elder, and as such commanded respect.

"Until then, Magiya."

"Master Warlic."

With that, we parted, and I calmly strode to the portal with the glowing orange symbol over it. I cast a last glance behind me at the field where Warlic and Nythera had pitched their tents. I loved this place; it was just so _peaceful._ There was never any change to it, and… well, it seemed to be the only constant in my life. I could see the faintest tinge of orange in the sky over the hundreds (if not thousands) of treetops to the West, and realized with a start that I had actually been training with Warlic for longer than I had thought. I shook my head slightly, and took a single step through the portal.

There was that familiar feeling of weightlessness, and I reveled in it. It was strange, that feeling; it was as though one had been turned into the wind, and all of the particles of one's being had been swept along by an invisible current for a few miles before coming back to one's self, and then your foot was landing on the ground on the other side of the portal. I shut my eyes for a moment, still remembering the feeling of the strange, ancient magic that flowed between the portals. A strange, rumbling purr almost seemed to shake the ground next to me, and I glanced downwards on my left with a knowing smile.

"Kai," I greeted, kneeling down to be eye-to-eye with my huge Pridemaster, though when I kneeled it actually brought me somewhat below his line of sight, his size being what it was. His huge, almond-shaped emerald eyes watched me, and yet again, I could discern no expression in them. I ran a slim hand over the multicolored, spiky fur on top of Kai's head, and that ground-shaking purr was heard again. I almost smiled as I stood again. "Ready to go home?"

Yes, I talk to my pets. Sue me for wanting something that can't necessarily talk back. It's not like I _asked _for trust issues with people! The only people who were in my (small, albeit existent) circle of trust were Warlic (kind of a given, seeing as I had to trust my mentor), Nythera (she isn't all bad, honestly!), Elysia (it's thanks to her that I survived that last attack by Sepulchure), Rolith (he's perfectly honorable and trustworthy; I can't help trusting him) and Cysero.

I can imagine that you're likely wondering about that last name. Surprisingly, Cysero is actually quite sane. It just takes a gifted mind to understand the workings, whys, and wherefores of the man. Also, it seems that I am the one person from whom he has _not_ stolen a left sock. Why is still a mystery to me, though you will never find me complaining about it. What you _will_ find is a female Mage who has seen much of the world of Lore in her nineteen years, and feels as though she has seen enough, if not too much of it. I have seen sad things, horrifying things, and things that would make your hair curl. But on the other side of all of that evil, there is a sort of haven; and this is what people often tend to miss. For every bad thing in the world, there is more than one thing that is nothing but good.

It's truly amazing how often people miss that.

As I walked through Falconreach with my huge golden pet by my side, there were multiple calls of greeting from both people I knew and people I didn't. Perhaps I was a major, seldom unheard-of hero, and perhaps not. In any case, I simply nodded to each greeting and continued on, in no mood to get drawn out into a conversation.

Upon arriving home, Kai immediately slunk over to where his bed was (at the foot of my own) and curled up. Giant Pridemaster or not, he was still feline, and still slept almost sixteen hours a day. When he wasn't out with me traipsing through the towns, taking out whatever monsters we saw, that is. Leaving him inside, I went out on the front porch (small as it was) and sat down, happy to just enjoy what little light was left in the forest outside my home.

When I opened my mind to all sorts of possibilities, magic wasn't too far out there. Reflectively, I lifted one hand, and studied it curiously. _Warlic said… that when I managed to call upon the magic subconsciously, that I would be able to take things to the next level. What if I… no, I'm not _that _strong yet… could I, though?_

I flexed each of my fingers in turn, frowning. _What if I just…_ Biting my lip reflectively, I recalled what it felt like to breach the bubble of magic, and the manner in which I'd done it. My dark brows lowered over the dark sapphire eyes under them, and I tentatively poked at the little marble in my mind. It seemed just as impenetrable as ever, except that now, I was aware of it, and knew how to break the little ball. I frowned slightly as, with no small amount of difficulty, I hardened my thoughts into something that, instead of a spear, felt more like a battering ram. Grimacing slightly, I hurled it with all the mental force I possessed at the little orb of magic. Still it refused to budge. Frustrated now, I tried again, but there was still no difference. It remained just as solid as ever.

I continued my assault on the little pebble of magic until sweat beaded my forehead, and the sun had reached the horizon some time ago. It was almost down entirely when, weary beyond belief, I tried again, and this time, the little sphere burst. A gasp slipped past my lips when I once again held the flow of magic, but instead of drawing out of it as I had previously in Warlic's field, I pushed in further. A grimace contorted my face as I attempted to force the flow of the magic to my will.

_My hand._

_To my hand._

_Go to my hand._

_Now._

After quite a bit of coaxing and shaping of the small, simple stream of magic that I now controlled, I forced it upwards, to wind around my left forearm, and then to my palm. In my mind's eye, I could almost see the chain of the magic twisting around my left hand, and my brow furrowed again as I tried to command the magic to take a shape visible to the naked eye.

However, this proved to be too much for my mind at this stage to manage, and with a sudden snap like an elastic band, the bubble pushed closed again, and the exertion made me exhale in a huff. I grumbled crossly to myself at the loss of the magic, before I looked at the sky to see it was nearing dark, and I had been out here for longer than I realized. With a quiet grunt, I rose from the small front porch of my house, and went inside.

Once I got inside, I went straight to the sturdy wooden table right inside the door, and flipped open a huge, worn, leather-bound book that must have been six inches thick. The corners of pages stuck out at odd angles here and there throughout the book, and now and then a fancy bookmark was visible with tiny decorations hanging off of them. As I flipped through the pages, the occasional ink splatter (as well as droplets that didn't exactly look like _ink_) was glimpsed, and nearly all of the pages in the book were yellowed to some degree or another. Finally, I came upon the page I was looking for; a page that was still moderately white, and marked with a purple satin ribbon decorated with little gold stars and a small crystal hanging off of the end coming out of the book.

"_Quests,_" I read in a murmur to myself, and a slid a slim finger down a list that was clearly written with an elegant hand at some point in time. "_Fire _War… No, I can't do wars… _Creepy Undead Forest_? I don't think so, I'll get carried away…100_ Room Dungeon_… Hm." At the last one, I paused, reading the description. "_Insanely huge fire dungeon… maze…_ Eh, why not?" With a quick nod, I absently cast a hand around the main room of my house, lighting the candles there.

The way magic worked, I was able to cast the smallest of spells without straining the little marble of magic in my mind. I could also master extremely weak offensive and defensive spells, but the more I cast of these against real monsters, the better I got at them. You get better with practice, as was commonly said. But as was witnessed in my training only a few hours ago, anything larger required me to breach that little bubble that contained magic that had the potential to be accessed.

"Kai," I said quietly but cheerfully to my Pridemaster, who was still curled up on his large bed at the foot of my own, "Tomorrow, you're going to have to stay at home. I'll be fighting fire beings, and I can't have you accidentally healing them."

A rumble of a purr answered me, and the faint glow from his emerald eyes was easily visible. I turned back to the book, reaching over it for a different slip of dark grey ribbon and sliding it into the page so it partially poked out one side.

That done, I finished up the small tasks I had left to do around my house (most of which consisted of a small amount of cleaning and preparing for the next day), washed up, and extinguished all the candles that I had lit. In order to do this, I held my hand up to my face with my palm facing the ceiling, and blew. Due to the intensity of my focus, every one of the fourteen candles' small flames went out at once. In the sudden darkness of my house, I carefully made my way to my bed (careful to avoid treading on Kai's tail—that would _not_ have boded good results) and slipped under the covers once I had removed my deep purple Mage's robe. In the darkness, I fussed with my hair for another moment, taking out the intricate braids before sighing quietly, allowing my body to rest, as my mind, weary as it was, never could.

My innermost thoughts continued to turn themselves over and over, restless though exhausted, and I quickly grew frustrated, which led to further invisible turmoil. My thoughts flew at miles a second, one thing leading to another which led to another which invariably led to yet another.

_I'm going to the 100-Room-Dungeon tomorrow. I can't take Kai, because he would heal the monsters. Like he did the huge dragon I was fighting under Lady Celestia's orders. I miss her, so much. She was so kind. Elysia seems to be doing well as her replacement, though, I hope she wins good favor with the knights. And what's up with their names? I swear, some of their names remind me of something, but I can't think of it. Like I'm thinking of this now. DAMMIT._

I huffed exasperatedly as I turned over, facing the wall blindly. I couldn't sleep.

Again.

More often than not, I was awake. Out of every night, I only managed to snare about three hours of sleep, if I was lucky. It got old, to say the least. Therefore, I resorted to the one method that had put me to sleep before; reciting an old verse out loud that I had been taught when I was younger. I didn't know where it came from, but I liked it, for some unknown, probably issue-filled reason.

"_When you try your best, but you don't succeed  
>When you get what you want, but not what you need<br>When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep  
>Stuck in reverse<em>

_And the tears come streaming down your face_  
><em>When you lose something you can't replace<em>  
><em>When you love someone, but it goes to waste<em>  
><em>Could it be worse?<em>

_And high up above or down below  
>When you're too in love to let it go<br>But if you never try you'll never know  
>Just what<em>_ you're worth_

_Lights will guide you home  
>And ignite your bones<br>And I will try to fix you"_

After reciting that, I fell silent, the tumult of my thoughts quieted, if only temporarily. When I was young, I used to puzzle over those verses for hours, trying to dig deeper into the meaning. Only recently had I stopped, partly because being older now, I understood the message, and partly because I had more important things I had to turn my attention to. Strange though it may seem, with these less chaotic thoughts crowding my head, I sank into an uneasy, restless sleep.

I woke at dawn feeling as though I had not slept at all.

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><p><strong>The song (rhyme?) was Fix You, by Coldplay. Go listen to it if you don't believe me, best beloveds. <strong>

**Anyways, things begin to pick up a little bit in the next chapter. Hang with the story, guys!**


	3. Monsters Are Vain

**Here's the next chapter, all! I hope you all had a good holiday season, and all went well. ^^ If you didn't, well, that's very sad, and I'm sorry for you.**

**But, at the same time, not relevant to the story.**

**Also, the story will be undergoing a title change, seeing as I finally found the perfect one. 3 The new title will be Zhi lao'hu. It's supposed to be Chinese for "Paper Tiger". If you'd like to know more about it, you can look it up. I think it fits the story pretty well. If it's somehow spelled wrong or whatnot, please let me know so I can change it. I put into English lettering as best I could, but I may have made a mistake or two. ^^**

**So, let's get to responding, hm?**

**eyelovefantasy: **_Thanks so much for reviewing again! ^^ And I'm pleased my story holds your interest, that's one of the things I was aiming to do with this. :3 And… yes. U/./U You _do_ detect a similarity to _Eragon_ in the way the magic is reached. Most of my other ideas about how the magic could be attained were a bit _too _science-fictiony and unrealistic (even for Dragonfable), so I decided to borrow an idea… ^^" Sue me if you will, but yes, the idea about reaching the magic is from _Eragon_._

**And now, on to the chapter. We meet a rather interesting and HIGHLY relevant person to the fic in this chapter. ^^ Thank you for hanging with it this far, and let's get started.**

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><p>"Shall I, or shall you?"<p>

"I'm not helpless, Rolith," I told him testily, smiling slightly. "A sprained wrist does not an invalid make."

"If you say so," he said, gesturing at the Cave Hydra looming before us. I had contacted Rolith after my…_ adventures_ in the 100-Room-Dungeon, and asked him if he wanted to hunt Hydra with me. Of course, he agreed.

My eyes gleamed as I planted my staff in the ground with my good hand, and summoned a small ball of fire about three inches in diameter to come and hover over the top of my staff. It was a small feat, calling magic of any sort to the simple-looking wooden stick, but what truly required effort was keeping the magic above anything that _wasn't_ a staff. I eyed the Cave Hydra, which was now beginning to weave side to side, both giant, pupil-less ice blue eyes on me. I grinned.

"Bye-bye."

Then, taking a good grip with my left hand on my pale green staff, my thoughts snapped into hyperdrive, and I _willed_ the little ball of fire to shoot at the Cave Hydra with all the speed I could muster. My Mana was near drained, yes, but as I was currently proving to Rolith as I sent fire after fire at the Cave Hydra, I was nowhere _near_ powerless. When the creature finally fell dead, covered in countless burns, I tied a strip of cloth around my wrist, using my teeth to tighten the knot. Hopefully, this would keep it somewhat motionless, and therefore less painful.

"What was that you were saying?" I asked as I jerked my chin in the direction we were going in the Hydra's Lair.

"Nothing, Magiya," he chuckled, and I threw an elbow his way. I got him in the slim gap in his armor near the side of the ribcage, and was rewarded with a low chuckle. In a lot of ways, Rolith was like my brother; the older brother I never had, I guess you could say. Not that I'm complaining. After all, who would? Rolith is an awesome older brother. I paused in walking as I saw the path fork up ahead.

"I'll take left, you take right?" Rolith suggested, and I nodded once. It was as good a plan as any. If one of us found Horidon, we could call for the other, and take him down as easily as we had the last four times.

"Let's go."

I took the right fork, casting a quick glance back towards Rolith as he disappeared down the tunnel to the left. Then I faced forward, squared my shoulders, and prepared myself to take down whatever idiot of a Cave Hydra should cross my path.

Twenty minutes later, I was absolutely soaked through, and my Mana was depleted, and my wrist was throbbing horribly, but still I pressed on. Suddenly, I turned a corner, and came face-to-face with Horidon. He recovered first, drawing back and whipping his tail around in an attempt to flatten me. I ducked just in time, and then was forced to retreat quickly as he snapped at me with fangs longer than my forearm. His teeth closed on empty air with a frightening _snap_ that echoed through the chamber we were in, and I slipped to the side, my lip curling as I struggled to maintain my concentration long enough to summon some vestige of fire or energy and yet avoid getting crushed or bitten in half. I hurried backwards briefly, just out of range of his tail, teeth, and claws, and proceeded to attempt to focus.

The next thing I knew, I was flying through the air, a dull pain blossoming near my sternum. I registered little else before I slammed into the slimy wall of the Hydra's Cave, my entire right side going numb from the impact, and black-and-white stars seemed to swirl before my eyes. My brain wasn't functioning; my limbs refused to obey my commands, and I internally berated myself.

_You fool, you didn't even call Rolith first!_ I scolded myself pointlessly. _You know that was what you two agreed to do! And now, he's not going to find you until after you're—_

I stopped myself. I could vaguely feel Horidon coming closer, with great, ground-shaking steps that rattled my teeth where I lay against the wall. A high-pitched sort of ringing filled my ears, preventing me from hearing anything at all. Then the heavy, bone-crushing steps stopped. Knowing him, Horidon planned on appreciating the moment before crushing me (monsters like him were _so_ vain). My eyes were open, but a field of white covered my vision. I had no idea which direction I was facing, and at this point, no longer cared.

_I'm going to die,_ I realized with no small amount of shock, and strangely enough, a feeling of irony swirled over my brain. I had survived Sepulchure, Xan, and dragons. I had fought and defeated Sek-Duat , Sir Koffagus, the Doomkitten, and Gananana (with some help, of course). I had made it past all of that, only to die here when I didn't pay attention to where I was going. How pathetic.

I guess I should have expected it, though, I reflected, as the stars still swirled before my eyes. There were still no vibrations going through the floor up to me, which gave me reason to believe that Horidon was still gloating. _Vain, selfish, sunofa…_

Suddenly, there were more vibrations; lighter ones than Horidon's steps, and more… erratic. They seemed to come from all over the slimy, wet floor of the caves, like whatever was making them was bouncing around like an arrow from a bow. My heart gave an impromptu leap as I came to the conclusion that Rolith must have found me, and was proceeding to try and defeat Horidon. My brain was still quite muddled however, and while the stars had stopped swirling, my vision was still a plane of white. Determined to not appear helpless, I mentally gritted my teeth and screamed at my rebellious limbs to respond to my commands. My fingers twitched.

_Well, at least that's _some_ reaction…_ I thought dryly, trying again with the same results. The smaller, uneven vibrations suddenly paused, and an instant later the entire cave shook mightily, and I took this as my evidence that Horidon had fallen. _Good job, Rolith. Now GET ME OUT OF HERE._

Almost as though he were reading my thoughts, I felt cold, armor-covered fingers and then hands slip under me, and lift me up as though it were almost no effort. And while the show of strength irked me, because I wasn't quite that strong, I most certainly did _not_ want him to drop me. I felt him begin to walk, feeling the slight jolts as he held me carefully that signified walking. _With any luck he remembers the way out…_

Once again, I tried to move my hands. This time, I got a little more response than last time. My whole hand twitched, not just my fingers. _Some improvement…_ As I felt Rolith walking, still carrying me somewhat gingerly, my vision gradually faded from white to gray, and from gray to basic, vague dark shapes that I couldn't really make out. I blinked blankly, seeing no difference in my vision. Only time would bring it back to its normal state. _Well, at least my mouth must be working… I hope…_

With that thought, I turned my head to the right about ninety degrees, rolling it on the armored shoulder, and stared dully up at where Rolith's head had to be. I opened my mouth twice before managing to emit a croak.

_Dammit. _Not_ what I wanted to say._

A voice fell upon my ears, but it was soft and incomprehensible, like it was being heard through water, or like my ears were blocked. Rolith must have been injured badly in one form or another (which didn't seem likely, given that he was walking normally) or something, because it didn't sound like his normal tone. An aftereffect of the hit, no doubt, but it was still more than a little unsettling to not be able to hear correctly. That didn't stop me from trying to speak, though. My second attempt came out little better than my first, a sort of garbled attempt at his name.

"R… Rol… Rolith…"

The steps stopped, and my head rolled forward with the sudden cease of motion. I may have limited control over my body, but for the time being, coherent speech and significant movements of my arms or legs were beyond me, to my almost unending frustration. His voice came again, but once more it sounded muted, like there was something blocking it. Again, it sounded off.

_Okay, it's official. I am _never._ Getting _whacked._ In the _head._ Again. Ever. _I thought irritably, more than a little annoyed by my lack of ability to hear properly.

Abruptly, I could feel my back resting against a wall, and then my legs get gingerly set down in front of me as he set me down. I felt armored fingers gently grasp my chin, turning my face from side to side, presumably looking for further injuries. _C'mon, Rolith, just do something already. _I knew for a fact that my trusted friend and ally had at least one healing potion on him; he never gave the monsters a chance to do him much damage. As expected, within moments I felt the hard rim of a glass vial press softly against my lips, and the soothing contents of a health potion were tipped down my throat. The tingling left behind by the red liquid seemed to accelerate, racing through my system faster than any healing magic I'd felt yet; as always. It gathered near my sternum and wrist first, and then went straight to my head before spreading out more and fading.

When the strange tingling that always accompanied a health potion faded, my head was clear, and I had full control over every part of my body. The ringing in my ears was gone, but there was almost complete silence, except for the breathing of my best friend. I could feel an armor-covered arm going behind me, supporting me enough to stay sitting upright while not resting against the slimy wall of the serpents' cave. My eyes remained closed as I shifted first my left arm, then my right, and then my lower legs. Then I opened my eyes, ready with a thank you and some playful comment for Rolith—

Then I stopped, because…

The man crouched down in front of me, still supporting me against the wall, wasn't Rolith.

This man was very broad-shouldered, almost more so than Rolith, and his armor was a sort of pewter silver color embossed with gold. He had a long torso (which was almost all I could see of him), and it was clear that when he stood he would be almost frighteningly tall. A slightly ruffled mess of copper-colored hair fell lightly into warm chocolate eyes with chestnut highlights and speckles of darker brown, and he had a strongly built face that was young and innocent—to a degree. A long, straight, steel sword hung from his left hip, while a well-worn but well-kept burgundy cape draped loosely from the huge hinged shoulder guards covering the top of each arm. In short, he had the look of a rather experienced warrior about him, despite the fact that he couldn't have been much older than I was.

No sooner had his appearance registered than I was beginning to scramble backwards on the slick floor of the cave, my hands braced slightly behind me to assist me in sliding back, away from the stranger.

I've mentioned before that I have serious trust issues. Trusting strangers, no matter what they had done, is one of those issues. This man was no exception.

"W-Who are you?" I gasped, freezing when my back hit the wall about a foot behind me. The man's face (though more than a little stare-worthy) was unfamiliar, and as such I didn't put much faith in the fact that he wasn't going to do anything negative, as I strove to put as much distance as I could between he and I. But as soon as I had begun to move, he had withdrawn his arm (the one supporting me), and held them both up at about face-height, as though in a sort of 'calm down' or 'I surrender' gesture.

"First off, are you okay?" he responded, his sparkling brown eyes searching my face. It was unfamiliar, and I shied away from his gaze, shrinking against the wall of the cave. After he spoke, I noticed that his voice was deep and gravelly, despite the tone of what seemed to be caution and concern. As I had learned all too often, it was fake.

"Fine," I said curtly, not taking my eyes off him. It wasn't that I didn't like him—I knew I very easily could if I let myself—it was that I didn't know him, and… he was just strange and unfamiliar. "Who are you? Where's Rolith? What are you doing here? Why did you help me? How—"

"One at a time, one at a time!" the man protested with a quick grin. I was sure that if I had blinked, I would have missed it. As it was, I wasn't sure I had really seen it at all, but he _seemed_ like the type of man who smiled a lot, so it wouldn't have surprised me if he had. He stood easily, causing me to involuntarily flinch, but he seemed to pretend not to notice. The man bowed at the waist with a flourish, accompanying the gesture with the words, "Artix von Krieger at your service, Paladin extraordinaire." I eyed him distrustfully, dark brown brows drawn low over my eyes. Without taking my gaze off of Krieger, I began to get to my feet, only to have my knees buckle once I got there. He snatched forward, catching my left forearm, keeping me from hitting the ground. Our eyes met as he pulled me back up to where I had my balance again, then I lightly tugged my hand out of his gentle metal grip, crossing my arms loosely over my stomach uncomfortably.

"Where's Rolith?" I repeated, inadvertently glancing around the stretch of the cave where we were in the hopes of seeing my friend. Or looking for an escape route, of which there was none.

"I'm afraid I don't know," he told me, lifting his chin just a little. I fought to keep my lip from curling as I realized he was striking a 'noble pose' that he was just another one of _them_—one of the battle-crazed, egotistic warriors that went around, trying to save DIDs (Damsels In Distress) and showing off every chance they got.

This was _exactly_ why I never trusted new people.

And this was also the way I protected myself from them; by putting up walls. And only those I trusted at this particular point in time were the ones who had made it past my wall of their own volition.

"Thanks for the _rescue, _Paladin," I said, somewhat bitterly, "But I've got to find him. For all I know, Rolith could be bleeding to death somewhere in a corner and I'd never know—"

"You mean much like you were," Krieger put in smoothly, and I shot him a glare over my left shoulder as I started walking. No, I didn't have any idea which direction I was heading. No, I didn't have my staff. Yes, I was alone with a stranger. Yes, I was almost powerless, much as I hated to admit it, but… well, what other choice did I have? Travel with him?

…

… Not just no, but _hell_ no.

"I was not!" I snipped, whirling back around to face him. My hair, which I had left down today, fanned out behind me when I spun to face Krieger, and I fixed him with an icy glare. More often than not, people took a step back upon seeing it. Not this time. "Just… just leave me be so I can find him! I can't leave him down here."

He shrugged, the huge shoulder guards shifting with the slight movement. "I can't just leave you. Not all of the Cave Hydras are eliminated, and if my eyesight serves, you have no staff, Mage."

"I don't care," I retorted, turning once more to stalk down the hallway, occasionally shooting glances over my shoulder. He followed me, of course. "Quit following me!"

"And leave you undefended? That would just be against anything I've been taught."

"Do I look like I care what you were taught?"

"You want an honest answer?"

"…"

"Honest answer it is. No, you don't look like you care." Krieger matched his pace to mine, and studied me intently. It was an uncomfortable feeling, and I flushed, walking faster. I had absolutely no clue where I was heading, I just wanted to get away from this… this… _jerk!_

"You're completely right. I don't," I shot back evenly, casting my gaze around the somewhat dark cave, searching for something—_anything_—out of place. The glint of his dark pewter armor, the dull shine of his dark blonde hair, the gleam of the giant hammer he wielded that caused monsters to fall every time he hit. I saw nothing. I stopped abruptly, and Krieger went a step further before stopping also to look back at me curiously. "Where is my staff?" I suddenly demanded, running a slim hand through my hair. Krieger shrugged.

"You didn't have it when I picked you up," he commented.

"Sunuvabitch," I muttered under my breath, turning back around. I had to have my staff. Through it, it was easier to channel magic; and this skill would be incredibly helpful should we run into any Cave Hydras. At the moment though, I was damn near helpless. It was a feeling that I really wasn't fond of, and would have been more than happy to dispel such a feeling as soon as was possible. Grumbling a little further, I lifted my chin a little, and called out loudly and clearly, "Rolith!"

The call reverberated down the hallways, ringing. After several moments, there was still no answer. Cursing again, I realized exactly how difficult it was for me to use magic without my staff, and focused. A snarl curved my upper lip as I lifted my palm, struggling to collect all of the magic. A whirling vortex appeared above my hand, just a spinning bit of air going so fast that it whistled. A faint white glow emanated from it, and a few loose strands of dark brown hair were drawn in. "Find Rolith," I breathed to it, then fisted my hand and hurled it down the tunnel, where it abruptly changed direction and spun back past myself and Krieger, back the way we had come. I went to run after it, but this proved to be too much for my newly healed body; I stumbled. I pitched forward, towards the stone floor, and flinched, already bracing myself for the landing.

But I didn't fall.

Instead, I felt the unyielding metal of armor under my torso. I cautiously opened my eyes, and saw that Krieger was supporting me, one foot forward and both arms out. The metal on his arms, warmed by the skin beneath, was digging lightly into my side, and I just helplessly stared at him, blinking once or twice in surprise. He did not move, and neither did I. After a minute or two, I cleared my throat uncomfortably, looking away from his sparkling dark brown eyes. Hoping that he could keep his arms still for another moment, I placed my hands lightly on his forearms, using them to push myself back up onto my feet.

Krieger opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment, I became aware of the sound of dim footsteps. They were definitely footsteps, and not slithering. Also, they were going in a _one-two-one-two_ pattern, indicating that the owner of the feet had two legs. Not to mention, it sounded like armored feet.

"Rolith?" I called out hopefully, and the little ball of light I had sent to find him came into view an instant before he did, dark blonde hair disheveled, and streaks of Hydra blood all over him, hammer in hand.

"Magiya," he growled, stalking up to me, "We are _never_. Splitting _up_. In a _Hydra Cave._ Again."

"Suits me," I said cheerfully, pushing lightly on the back of his left shoulder to spin him around. I studied him, making sure that he wasn't too badly injured, or that there was nothing that needed immediate attention.

"Also, next time, we're taking your Pridemaster."

"If you say so," I said distractedly. I saw many dents and scratches on his armor, and more than one nasty bite, but nothing life-threatening. I took a careful step around behind him, still giving him a thorough inspection. Rolith rolled his eyes, but I decided to disregard this. After another moment, I gave him a nod, and he faced me, a small, amused smile on his face.

"Satisfied?"

"Nearly," I shot back, crossing my arms. "I lost my staff."

"That's not good, is it?"

"The equivalent of you losing your hammer."

"Artix?" Rolith suddenly asked, turning halfway to inspect the brown-haired paladin. He waved cheerfully at my friend, and the two grasped forearms, a matching grin on each of their faces. I resisted the urge to give a long-suffering sigh and roll my eyes, much as Rolith had done moments ago.

"Rolith!" Artix said good-naturedly, then glanced at me curiously before muttering in an undertone, "What's her name again?"

"Don't—"

"Her name is Magiya."

I groaned audibly, slamming my forehead into my palm. _Great. Just great. Now stalker-boy here knows my name. Awesome._

"Magiya," Krieger repeated in satisfaction, his chocolate-colored eyes dancing. I just glared at him, almost trying to bore holes through his skull.

_No! Down, girl._

"I'll remember that," he chuckled before giving us a two-fingered salute and jogging off down the tunnel—presumably to slay more Cave Hydras, because it was the opposite direction of the entrance.

"Let's go," I muttered irritably, giving Rolith's cold armor a little push in the direction we had come in to get him moving.

"What, aren't we going to get the prize?"

"Not _now_. He's back there."

"So we're letting him take our hard-earned gold?"

"No, Rolith. There are _plenty_ of other quests out there for us to do."

"You mean for _you_ to do," he corrected, resting his hammer on his shoulder as we walked down the tunnel. "Despite what you may believe, I am a Captain, and while I got leave this time, I can't go AWOL."

"Awol?"

"Absent Without Leave," he explained briefly, shrugging. How he still managed to do that while his effing huge hammer rested on his shoulder, I have no idea. I could barely lift the thing with both hands; Rolith swung it around as if it were a toy.

"So… you understand the acronym terms, huh?"

"Yep," he confirmed, nodding. I could see the faint light of the stairway to the surface not far ahead of us now, and I took an extra step, ready to be outside again. Rolith (stupid long legs) kept at his normal pace.

"So then… what's Fubar?"

"FUBAR? Fucked-Up Beyond All Recognition."

"Snafu?"

"SNAFU, Situation is Normal; All Fucked Up."

"Wow, there's a lot of language in these things."

"Want me to tell you some more?"

"No, I think I'll pass."

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><p><strong>My dad told me that these terms are still used in the military today. :) I decided to take his word for it.<strong>

**I hope that all of you readers/reviewers/flamers/people inbetween enjoyed this chapter. ^^ I must confess, though, this is the best writing I've done in quite some time. :3 I'm enjoying this quite a lot, and I sincerely hope that all of you who read this are too. ^w^**

**Again, if any questions are asked through reviews, I would be happy to answer almost any of them, assuming that the answers do not spoil the story. :3**

**I hope you have a nice day.**

**Salad and deer jerky to all. ^^**

**My apologies to any vegetarians.**


	4. I'm Keeping My Barriers

**Good morning to all. ^^ Where I am, it's around 8 am. My best friend considers me a she-devil because I do in fact have her up with me at this supposedly ungodly hour. But just this time, I was late to sleep and early to rise. ^^ Once again, I thank you all if you've read this far, and I hope you continue to read on. :3**

**Review responses… unfortunately this time, there are none. I only remind you that reviewers are graciously thanked, and that reviews can let me know if something's gone off-kilter in the story. U.U  
><strong>

**I got a good portion of the story done over this past weekend, but that does by no means indicate that the chapters will come more often. After all, I need to give myself time to write. If I get caught up, it has the potential to kill my inspiration, and I don't think anyone wants that to happen. ^^**

**In this chapter, we have another little run-in, and we learn several things (mentally) about our little Magiya, and how her mind works.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>I shivered lightly against the chill wind and snow, pressing my back closer against Kai.<p>

"Why do _you_ get to be so warm?" I grumbled in his general direction, but only received a low, good-natured growl in response. I shuddered again, and wrapped my arms around my knees while letting his vivid orange-and-gold fur that held some sort of unnatural warmth keep me from freezing. _I just hate the cold… I'd be perfectly happy with summer and spring year-round. _At the moment, I was more miserable than usual; the bruises and few scratches I had collected so far in this quest ached slightly from the cold. After another moment, I sighed resignedly, rising to stand in the almost waist-deep snow in this icy valley.

"Come on, Kai," I murmured, only just able to keep my teeth from chattering. My Pridemaster rose too, and took his place by my right hip. A smile tugged at my lips as I saw that the sheer warmth that he had inside of him had entirely melted the snow where he had been laying, revealing some soaked, dead brown grass beneath.

Steeling myself to continue walking, despite the extreme cold, I fought my way through the snow (did I mention that I absolutely abhor cold temperatures?) down the path. It was frustrating, to say the least, as it was rather difficult to tell where the trail actually was under about three feet of snow, if not more. Naturally, on both sides of the path about fifty feet off, there were snowdrifts that I estimated to be about six yards in height. This made it just a little bit easier to tell in general where the path was, but not by much.

"Dammit!" I cursed as I saw a trio of Arctic Wolves on the road ahead. "I hate these things," I muttered to Kai, and received a low rumble in response that I could almost feel shake the air. "Ready, Kai?"

With a simple spell that every Mage was taught at an early age, I lifted my simple, oaken staff (the replacement for my lost one in the Hydra's Cave), and a ripple of orange magic ran down it's plain wooden length. It shone brightly for a moment before transforming into a long, steel bar. At the head was a pair of ruby red, elaborately carved wings, while at the base was an outstretched claw of the same color.

"Right," I growled, taking the first step down the trail that would take me to the battle. "Let's get rid of these little brats…"

When we got within range (which was only a few more yards), I stretched out my left palm, and mentally called upon a small spell that, with the help of the staff, still had the potential to inflict serious damage, when pitted against the correct element. I concentrated, leaving it to Kai to watch my back while I sent a wave of pure heat energy towards the three Arctic Wolves, and it hit them with the force of a stone wall. One fell dead at once, while the other two staggered a step or more before spotting me and racing for the spot where Kai and I stood. I braced myself, as I had mere seconds. I couldn't erect a barrier in time, but nor could I call upon magic again; I wasn't experienced enough to do that in a matter of the time we had left.

The attack was what I had come to expect from the few Arctic Wolves I had faced prior to these two.

One somehow pulled a bone longer than it was from the frozen ground, hurling it at Kai and myself. I flinched a little to my right, anticipating the hit from the huge bone. My left arm automatically came up over my face without my thinking about it, and I heard a sickening _crack _an instant before a lance of pain lanced up my forearm. The pain was at a level at which it made me severely nauseous, and I hissed loudly, clutching my broken arm closer to me. The second Arctic Wolf went to leap forward, choosing instead to attack with his teeth. However, my courageous Pridemaster suddenly leapt from my right, catching the neck of the second animal, and landed with it several feet away. There were savage, angry growls emanating from Kai, and there was one sort of whimper before my pet stood and turned from the hole in the snow, the gold-and-orange fur around his jaws stained a sort of greenish color. That was the funny thing about most of the monsters that were flesh and blood; their blood was a sort of metallic greenish-blue, not red.

I returned my attention (spared only for a heartbeat) to the first Arctic Wolf, my good hand holding my staff out slightly in front of me. It stood still, seeming to almost sway on its feet before it leaped clumsily at me. It was badly hurt, I could see as I sidestepped the lunge. It would be an easy matter to dispatch this one, assuming I could manage it without having to use my left arm. I scowled as my broken arm began throbbing, and twirled my staff around once without taking my eyes off the monster again.

"Bring it, you little fucker," I snarled furiously, pointing the top of my staff at the Arctic Wolf. This was the only way I could really cast any kind of magic that was more powerful than lighting and extinguishing candles; channeling it through my staff. It let out a shaky growl before leaping at me again. This time, I sent a small ball of embers flying at the wolf. It struck it dead in the heart, and the animal's red eyes bulged slightly before it collapsed in the deep snow, not to move again.

Taking a short breath, I glanced down at my bad arm, and almost immediately had to look away again, due to the way my arm looked at the time.

It appeared that not only was my arm at least fractured, if not broken, but the impact from the giant bone hitting my forearm must have left me with a _very_ nasty bruise; the kind that was already shades of purple, blue, green, and black. I grimaced as I felt the small pouch at my waist was empty.

_Damn. Out of health potions. _I looked skyward, withholding a sigh. _No self-pity, idiot. There's nothing you can do right now. Just make the best of it._

"Don't suppose you've suddenly somehow managed to get healing powers, eh, Kai?" I asked hopefully as I knelt down by my Pridemaster, running a slim hand over the spiky fur on his head. He let out a rumbling purr that seemed to shake the ground before suddenly jerking his head up, emerald eyes gleaming as he looked at something behind me before leaping clear over me, sliding to a stop in the deep snow. I turned as well, my face twitching in a slight grimace before smoothing over as I jostled my arm. But the sight that met me brought my scowl back.

"Krieger," I said in a low voice, cradling my bad arm. It was throbbing steadily in time with my heartbeat now. He stood leaning slightly back, sword sheathed, and his hands at about face height. His copper-brown eyes were focused completely on Kai as the immediate threat (wisely, too, might I add), and his expression was one of mild surprise and even… was that amusement? I frowned at him, trying my best not to shiver again, cold as I was. I did _not_ want to show weakness, not to him.

Where did that thought come from?

I shook my head once, briskly, and took a couple steps towards Krieger to put myself at Kai's shoulder. I placed my good hand lightly on his spiky head, my staff held upright in the crook of my bad arm. I tilted my head slightly, dark blue eyes focused on him.

"_What_ are you doing here?" I asked testily. I felt an instant of gratefulness that the wind and blizzard had died down enough for me to speak in my normal voice, and still have him hear me when he was about ten yards away. "I thought I told you to stop following me!"

"Not my fault if I just happen to be hunting down Yetis at the same time as you," he commented with a brief flash of a grin, his eyes not leaving Kai. I considered calling Kai off, seeing as he was still uttering that ground-shaking rumble of a growl. When I had begun to speak, he had quieted it, but that didn't make it any less substantial. However, the simple enjoyment of seeing him squirm won out, so I let Kai continue to growl almost silently.

"I'm sure," I snipped, shifting my bad arm slightly so I could hold my staff better. "There's no such thing as a coincidence." Bitchy, me? He offered up another quick smile, this time actually glancing at me. However, his chocolate brown eyes almost immediately shifted to my bad arm, and the wide grin vanished.

"What happened to your arm?" he questioned, his eyes still riveted on my broken arm. Reflexively, I swapped the hand holding my staff, and tugged lightly on my left sleeve so it covered the worst of the break.

"None of your business," I hissed venomously, turning the left side of my body slightly away from him. Krieger began to lower his hands, taking the first step forward towards me, still not looking at Kai, until the massive Pridemaster let out a clearly audible growl that radiated through both his chest and mine from the sheer depth of it. He stepped back again.

"I have healing powers, I can help," he protested as I began to turn away, preparing to continue walking down the path. "Magiya!" At this I paused. It had been almost two weeks since I had first met Krieger, yet he still remembered my name?

Then again, not that much of a surprise. Many knew my name, and some of those claimed I was a hero. I never paid much attention to the rumors, gossip, and hearsay that went around.

"I'm fine," I said coldly, still facing away, maintaining my distance emotionally from him. This was how I worked in the way of blocking people out, and not trusting many of them. "Go home, Krieger."

"You need help."

"Bullshit."

"Just listen for a minute!" he persisted, but still I did not face him.

Perhaps I was a coward then, for having Kai keep Krieger at bay. Perhaps I was timid and fearful, not to face him then. But then again, perhaps I was brave for recognizing my flaws, and accepting them. Yet even more of a weakling for doing nothing to fix them and make myself into what might have been a better person.

Maybe I was foolish, not allowing my pride to unbend enough to accept help from another; even more so from a man who had done nothing but help me in the past, even if it was only one time. He had shown no inclination to hurt me, or hurt others. Yet I could not trust him, or anything he said, for that matter.

"No," I told him in a low voice. "This is not your wound to heal. Leave it be, Krieger."

"I won't," he said obstinately, and I glanced back over my shoulder for a moment in surprise.

"There is nothing for you to do. Just go home." There was a moment of silence, then:

"I can't."

"What?"

"I can't go home."

I stopped for a few seconds, and half-turned to him automatically, so I was looking at him over my right shoulder. "…What?"

Krieger looked at me almost regretfully, his normally light and cheerful brown eyes darkened slightly with what seemed to be sadness. "I… I can't go home," he repeated, with a hint of wistfulness. Instantly, little pinpricks and stabs of curiosity and wonder started to work away at me, but I did my best to brush them aside. I gently placed my right hand on Kai and murmured a few gentle whispers to him, quieting the growling. However, the bits and pieces of questions poking at my mind were the result of idle curiosity, and I tended to not voice these questions if they were nothing resembling a true purpose behind them. Therefore, I did not ask.

I realized I had been silent for longer than necessary, and took a small breath before facing him. I kept my left arm tucked against my torso, out of harm's way. "Krieger," I began, "Have you any reason to finish this quest?"

"Aside from the gold, and perhaps the self-satisfaction? No."

"Then, you would be comfortable with leaving it early." It was not a question, but an assumption.

"I would."

I nodded once thoughtfully, and looked down at my left arm, opening my mouth once or twice, internally attempting to convince myself that I _could_ accept help from a total stranger… A man I had only met once, a man with a huge sword that he appeared to handle very well, and a man about whom I had absolutely no knowledge of his habits and mannerisms. But also a man who had been made a Paladin, and protected and helped the innocent.

And yet…

How could I unbend my pride enough to take him up on that offer? The answer to me was immediate and simple; I couldn't. Not without feeling inferior. …But I did need help. So how was I supposed to just open my mouth and speak those few simple words, asking for his help?

"I… um…"

"Yes?"

"Er…" I hesitated again, chewing lightly on my lip. My left forearm throbbed badly again, reminding me that I needed to do something about it, and fast. _Dammit, stop hurting for a minute and let me think!_ "You… you mentioned you had healing powers…?" I phrased it as a question rather than a statement before hesitating again.

"To a degree," Krieger answered, inclining his head slightly. But still I balked.

"Then…" I took a short breath, just forcing the words out. "I… yes. Please. Um… help. Please."

Krieger raised an eyebrow, wordlessly asking me to elaborate. I internally cursed, and I could almost physically feel my pride as it damn near shattered.

"I would like to accept your previous offer of help," I repeated slowly and coldly, gritting my teeth. Oh, how I hated him right now. However, a dry smile twisted his lips, and he unobtrusively took the four steps necessary to bring him over to me.

"First," he said in a playful way, though his eyes were completely serious, "I think it best if we go somewhere a little warmer first. Are we agreed?" I gave a terse nod, still trying to maintain what little dignity I still had left. "In that case…" Krieger reached over. I automatically flinched, but he seemed not to notice before his hand closed over my good forearm and closing his eyes. His other hand went up in a prayer-like fashion in front of his face, and his eyes opened for a moment. Instead of their typical copper color that I had come to expect, they were a vivid, glowing white. Then it felt like I was floating, almost. Like my entire being had dissipated and now followed the current of the wind, like I was nearly weightless. In short, the same feeling I had come to expect from the portals between the zones.

I opened my eyes, having subconsciously squeezed them shut during the short journey out of the ice valley. I blinked, realizing that we were only a little bit south of Falconreach now, and from simply knowing the land around me I knew that the portal leading down into Ravenloss was just out of sight around the bend in the trees, through the plain wooden archway. As it was, we stood by a sort of stream with a series of stones leading across it, forming a rough path across the water. The creek was crystal-clear, flowing from behind one of Falconreach's walls, and ran beneath a large, old, twisted oak tree. A hint of wistfulness entered my thoughts as I remembered when I was younger, I used to climb up almost to the very top of that tree, then swing back down like a little monkey.

Across the stream, I could see the statue of Warlic that was almost three years old by this point, and I had once thought it needed taken down, since the monument had been raised when everyone thought he was dead. Now, though, the thought shocked me. Below the statue of my mentor sat the little pink moglin Annapurna, playing with her extensive stack of glowing pink 'Spellberries'… or whatever she chose to call them.

"Now," said Krieger, jolting me back to reality, "Let's get you fixed up, hm?"

Before I could utter another word, he swept his armored right arm up behind my knees, catching my shoulders with his left arm. My staff fell to the grass as I put my good hand against his breastplate, pushing lightly.

"You jerk, put me down! I can walk, I'm not helpless!" Kai's ground-shaking rumble of a growl punctuated my exclamation, but Krieger just grinned cheerfully, taking the few steps over to the edge of the stream.

"Of course," he said good-naturedly, suddenly kneeling down by the very edge of the stream and gingerly setting me down on the grass there. It almost surprised me, how gently he handled me, considering he was at least six inches taller than me and covered entirely in silver-, brass-, and pewter-colored armor that looked like it would ring if I rapped my knuckles against it. At the moment, however, touching anything with my left hand was out of the question.

"Let me see it," he said gently, carefully taking my left hand in his armored one. Automatically, I jerked my left arm back, but then let out a muted hiss as the simple movement made it feel like it had almost been sliced through. Krieger took the opportunity to seize my left hand firmly, but before I could let out another sound of pain his other hand came whipping around, grasping my elbow of that arm. Then both his hands jerked.

The sound of the crack reached my ears an instant before the scream.

The sheer volume of the screech made me want to roll on the grass with my hands clapped over my ears, but for the fact that Krieger still gripped my left forearm. It took me several moments to realize that the ringing cry I was hearing was coming from my own mouth, but by the time it was out I couldn't stop it.

"You son of a _bitch!_ You goddamned fucking _bastard!_" I yelled, thrashing and attempting to put any amount of distance between myself and Krieger, but to no avail. He still had my left arm (now rebroken) in his armored hands.

"Be still!" he commanded in a voice that boded no argument. He wasn't even looking at me anymore. His left hand moved from my elbow to my wrist, and his palm began to glow. His face was lined with concentration, and the white glow from his free hand made me struggle harder from pure fear of it. I still could not get loose, though; his grip was like iron. _Dammit, he's strong._ A strange tingling raced from my wrist to my shoulder and back again as he slowly ran his hand up my forearm, like I'd hit my funnybone, and then it faded along with the throbbing. As soon as Krieger had released my left arm, I jerked it out of his grip and scrambling to my feet. When I had put a good four yards between us, I carefully inspected my forearm while Kai stood by my hip, his huge green eyes fixed solely on Krieger.

_Not a mark is left. He wasn't kidding. But fucking hell, did that hurt!_

I warily looked up at the Paladin. He was standing comfortably, leaned against the oak tree by the stream, his arms crossed over his breastplate. He raised an eyebrow.

"It had to happen _some_time," he commented. I fixed him with an icy dark blue glare.

"Go to hell," I growled, stalking over to the stream about two yards from him and sitting on the edge. I sat with my legs pulled up to my chest, and rested my chin on my knees. I still scowled, but… well, my arm didn't hurt anymore. And whatever healing process he had gone through with, controlling that strange white light in his palms, it had healed everything else. My indigo and black robe splayed out around me, and I let one foot down to dangle near the slow-moving water, barely brushing the surface of the crystal-clear stream. Krieger had the nerve to walk over and sit too, his legs hanging over the edge of the short drop before the water. I studied him critically out of the corner of my eye before drawing my left fist back and letting it swing forward, landing with a rather satisfying _smack_ before I pulled my hand back, shaking out contentedly.

"What was that for?" Krieger asked, absently rubbing at his right cheek. His face had a faint grimace on it, but no expression of pain. I just shook my head at him irritably, examining my surely bruised knuckles.

"You re-broke my arm, jackass."

"… Has anyone ever told you you're a character?"

"Usually I'm a piece of work, but that works too."

Krieger let out an amused chuckle, pulling up one leg to rest his elbow on it. A wry smile twisted his lips, but I rested my chin on my knees as I gazed at the clear water. I could spy a small fish or two seeming to float in the free-flowing stream, their shape allowing them to cut through the water.

"Krieger," I said suddenly, for once surrendering to curiosity, "What did you mean before? About not being able to go home?"

He shifted slightly, turning his torso to inspect me. I refused to look at him, maintaining my observation of the creek. "…Why would you want to know?"

"Because I'm curious." The answer came immediately, yet it didn't exactly sound like the right one. But it was an honest answer, at least, which was more than I could say for many people I knew and had known.

"How about this," he reasoned, "If I answer a question of yours, you have to answer a question of mine."

"Fine," I muttered, resting my chin on my arms around my legs. "Answer the question."

"Alright," he said reflectively, rubbing his chin with his right hand as he glanced upwards. "Let's see… When I was sixteen… a sort of curse was set upon the village I lived in. It turned almost everyone I knew and had grown up around into zombies. So I… left. I ran into Lady Celestia, who showed me I could become a Paladin. I trained as one up until a year or two ago, when I graduated. Your turn."

"Wait!" I protested, lifting my head and frowning. "Did you say your whole village turned into _zombies?_"

"Yes," Krieger said stiffly. "Now answer me this; why do you have such _demented_ trust problems towards everyone?"

"Well, seeing as you just re-broke my arm, difficulty trusting you is warranted."

"_Magiya._"

"If I knew, Krieger, I probably wouldn't tell you," I answered calmly and somewhat regretfully. "I've just always had… issues, I guess, with placing faith or trust in people. I've always had these mental barriers, I suppose you could call them."

"What happened to give you these… barriers?"

I shook my head sadly. "I've just… I don't know. Growing up, I've seen people be hurt again and again by the people they care for… and I don't ever want to be hurt that way. Not physically, that I can stand, but mentally, if that makes any sense at all. And… maybe it's selfish of me, wanting to protect myself from getting hurt at the expense of others, but I won't apologize for it. It's how I am, it's how I've always been."

"I see."

"That was two questions, you realize."

"Hm?"

I eyed him skeptically at his playing-dumb tactic. "You asked two questions. I get to ask two now, jerk."

Krieger nodded acquiescingly, then shrugged. "Go for it."

"How old are you?"

He blinked. "Do I really look that old?"

"No, but I still want to know," I persisted, maintaining my stare on the stream instead of him. Two of the little fish had moved.

"Why does that matter, though?"

"Answer the damn question, Krieger."

"Okay, okay," he surrendered, allowing a faint grin to reach his face. I still stubbornly refused to look at him. "I am twenty-three. My birthday was four months ago."

"So you're older?" I confirmed, mentally slamming my head against the huge, gnarled oak tree two feet to my right.

"Yup."

I grumbled crossly to myself. Since I had been training as a Mage, it seemed almost everyone I met was older in one form or another than my nineteen years. Obviously, there were the exceptions, the little children that ran around villages and towns, but save for them, everyone had to be older than I was. Now, I wouldn't be complaining when they were crusty and I was still younger, but for the time being, I was faintly annoyed. It meant that, because of my younger age, I had always been grouped in with the idiots who were my age. Maybe I'm a little conceited by stating that I was simply smarter than them, but it might have just been that I was more _mature_ mentally than they were at that point in time.

"So… my turn."

"What? Oh. Yeah. Q and A. Shoot."

Krieger studied me closely, but still, being the mule-headed Mage I was, I wouldn't even glance at him as he did his little inspection. I expected some cheesy question about my childhood; had I had any pets, did I have siblings, and so on. What I didn't expect, however…

"Do you hate me?"

I blinked, momentarily stunned to silence by his inquiry. "Why would you think that?" I asked instead of answering. Almost as soon as those words were out of my mouth, my subconscious was already recoiling from the possibility of opening up any other part of my mind to this man I barely knew. I didn't realize it then, but have since learned to recognize it; the avoidance of any sort of new relationship with new people, be it friendship, enmity, or something more.

"Because you certainly don't act all cheerful when you see me," he replied matter-of-factly. "And nobody likes to be hated, least of all me."

I was quiet for several long minutes before I began to answer. And when the answer came, it was slow and halting, me not being sure how to phrase things in a way he would understand. "When… I met you, you were… eh… different? But the same." Krieger opened his mouth to speak, but I held up a slim hand, forestalling his interruption. "You were the same because… well, you were a man. You were a man I hadn't met before… a man of whom I had no knowledge. But… you were different, because… um… how to explain… you were different, because you just irked me from the start. Most people either back off, or get angry. You didn't. You just… took what you had, and made the best of it." I finally lifted my chin from my knees, and looked him in the eye. His chocolate-colored eyes gleamed and glittered, but he didn't look away as I continued my explanation. "And… you always have some smartass comment, and you're always in some sort of cheerful mood. It's… different. But you're always somehow getting under my skin…" I paused reflectively, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear as I considered how best to get my point out. "And… well, I guess the answer right now would be… I'm undecided. At the moment, Krieger, I neither like nor hate you. Though Lore only knows, that could change." Knowing me, it wouldn't change. I would try with all of my power to keep this man at arm's length both mentally and physically (much as he was now, sitting next to me), and would, to the best of my ability, stop him from working his way any further past my barriers.

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><p><strong>So… yeah.<strong>

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**Blueberry pancakes, Slim Jims, and popcorn to all.**


	5. Longest Trip Ever

**This chapter has a little more swearing in it than usual near the end. It was 3 am and I was tired. Might go back and change a handful of things, but for the time being, I'm content. ^^ I hope you enjoy it, it has a little more humor in it than usual. **

**Reviewing first, though.**

**Thunder of Life: **_Thanks for reviewing! :3 And quotes from Warlic are welcome! ^^ Thank you so much, and I'm glad it inspired someone! :) And here's the next chapter. ^^_

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><p>My dark blue eyes opened again.<p>

I withheld a sigh as I raised up in my bed, lightly resting my forearms on my sheet-covered knees and looking out the window that was right above my head. The sky was a sorry sort of dull grayish color, but just at the edge of the wooden window frame I could see the faint tint of pinks and oranges, barely there. Dawn had come again, and again I had not slept. It had been a week since my last encounter with Krieger, and my arm was still as good as ever.

_This lack of sleep is going to kill me one of these days,_ I thought miserably, rubbing my eyes with the heel of my left hand and blinking blearily. So far, over 48 hours without sleep. I had gone up to 72 before dropping almost dead from exhaustion, and it was not unusual for me to miss a night of sleep about once a week. 48 waking hours was not _seriously_ abnormal for me, but anything more was cause to worry. This sleeplessness seriously impaired my judgment and abilities, not to mention my concentration and response time. I glanced at the sky again, and remembered abruptly that I had a training session with Warlic today. _Great. Just great. How am I going to be able to focus on anything he has to teach me when I'm like the walking dead?_

My mind had no answer.

With a soft groan, I swung my legs over the edge of my bed, and rose. My joints creaked in protest from the almost nonstop wear I'd been inflicting on them over the past 48 hours, with no sleep. _I can't be feeling old yet, I'm only fucking nineteen. _I stepped over to my somewhat limited closet, selecting a mint green Mage robe lined with black. I wearily readied myself for the day, while Kai stayed curled on his red-and-gold bed at the foot of my own, his huge green eyes watching me while the rest of him remained motionless.

"Lucky _feline_," I grumbled halfheartedly as I twisted my hair into a simple braid that ran almost to the base of my shoulderblades. I made the word describing him sound almost dirty with the manner in which I said it. "You get to stay home today." His eyes gleamed as if in laughter, though he made no sound. I retrieved my oak staff from by my bedroom door, then stepped out my front door into the surprisingly chilly air.

"Damn," I muttered, hugging my upper arms as I shivered. It must have frosted over last night, judging by the crunchy feel of the grass underfoot as I walked across my small lawn to the treeline. Here came the one-mile morning walk from hell.

Half an hour later, I was reveling in the pleasantly warm sunlight that reached every part of Warlic's field.

"What are we doing today, Master Warlic?" I asked, reluctantly dragging myself out of the euphoria of warmth.

"First, we test your experience on how much you have practiced since our last lesson, and continue on from there," he answered. The last lesson had been spent with me breaching the bubble of magic that lay in the back of my mind, and holding it open for as long as possible while also attempting to draw the power from it. It was difficult, but also a challenge. As Warlic had told me not so very long ago, if something weren't a challenge to learn, it would likely not be worth learning.

"Okay, then let's get this show on the road," I said, stretching my arms high above my head with a light grunt. Warlic nodded once, his amethyst-colored eyes slightly unfocused as usual. I used to think there was something wrong with his head, until I discovered that he had to keep a continual rein on the immense power he controlled. I used to fancy I could do the same, but have since ceased entertaining such an impossible idea. Warlic, the most powerful Mage Lore had yet seen, being outdone by one of his pupils, who had been training in magic for less than three years? What a story that would have made.

"Am I to use my staff today?" I questioned. Warlic paused for a moment, then shook his head.

"Not today."

I nodded with a slight grimace; it was easier for me to reach the magic if I had my staff in hand, but it was not necessary. With that, I set my staff to the side, and gracefully seated myself on the surprisingly green grass outside of Warlic's tent.

"What first?"

My instructions were to hold open the barrier of magic while simultaneously channeling it and dipping into its nearly endless depths, pulling out enough to cast both defensive and offensive spells. All without my staff.

The feat was nearly impossible for me to do.

I struggled only momentarily to feel around the bubble of magic and find the weak spot, then pushed with the mental force of a boulder at just the right area. It gave almost immediately.

"You've been practicing," Warlic noted. I gave a small nod, not trusting myself to focus on more than one thing just yet. I placed my hands flat on the grass on either side of my knees as I fought my mental battle. I almost lost my grip on the walls of the bubble of magic for a moment, before regaining control and forcing the gap open just a little wider. A small bead of sweat formed on my brow above my sapphire eyes as I worked. I slowly reached into the pool of the magic, and created a sort of mental funnel, giving the magic that was pressing outwards on my mind a place to go.

_Go._

_Move. _

_Outwards._

_Be visible._

Doing this was putting an immense amount of strain on my mind, and more droplets of perspiration were showing on my forehead. However, it seemed my efforts were paying off. After taking another short, deep breath, I gritted my teeth, silently willing the magic to form, much like the way I had outside my house no more than a month ago. It was almost just as difficult this time as it had been then. A faint glow seemed to emanate from the air roughly a foot and a half in front of my nose, but I did not remove my gaze from that spot.

_Show yourself. _

There! A spark! A snarl of a smile curved my lips as I pushed at the stream of magic harder. It grew slightly brighter, and after a few long moments, swelled to almost the size of a cherry. The little orb of magic glowed brightly, like a small lantern, only three times as bright. Warlic knelt down next to me, vivid purple eyes fixed solely on the power I had levitated.

"Let it go," my mentor whispered. "Release any cage you have on it."

"How?"

"Feel for it, Magiya."

_Easier said than done, Master Warlic…_

However, true to the oath I took when I became his pupil, I tried. I allowed my eyes to drift half shut as I attempted to, as Warlic said, release my hold on the magic, yet prevent it from escaping. It was more than difficult, it was damn near impossible. _C'mon, Magiya… focus. _But then, my concentration wavered for an instant.

The little sphere of pure magic went out with a _pfft_, and I sighed irritably. "I almost had it! I was this close!"

"You need to learn how to release the magic, and yet hold it, know it, feel it, and control it," Warlic told me, placing a hand gently on my shoulder from behind as he stood. "Try again, and this time, get a feel for the magic before you try and release it in its entirety." I gave my mentor a terse nod, scowling slightly.

"We'll be here a while, huh." It wasn't a question.

"Evidently, we will," he commented dryly, "Unless you can learn to both let it flow and instruct it on _how _and _where_ it needs to go."

"Alright," I said, stretching my arms. "Let's get started. Again."

I tried again with the same amount of success to levitate the small amount of pure magic about a yard from the ground. When it was once again glowing, I took a long, deep breath, and timidly pressed with a tendril of thought at the vortex of magic. It gave slightly, but not enough to destroy my concentration. My dark brown eyebrows dipped lower over my eyes in a frown, and I pushed just a little bit harder, still careful not to set it off course.

_Gently… gently…_

Another drop of sweat slipped agonizingly slowly down the side of my face.

I tapped almost impatiently at the slight vortex of magic that I funneled outwards to the spot a couple feet in front of my nose, but at my faint annoyance, it suddenly began to waver greatly.

"Peace," said Warlic warningly. "Do not grow aggravated with the magic. Be at peace with it."

"That's a little hard," I gritted out, my right eye twitching momentarily before I managed to get the magic back under control. My four words had cost me a fleeting lapse in concentration, and I inadvertently let out a deep growl as I gave the stream a great shove.

_PAY ATTENTION TO ME!_ I internally roared. Suddenly, the stream of magic flowing through my head calmed, smoothing into a perfectly straight point. My sheer surprise caused my focus to waver, and with that came loss of the magic. The little orb in front of me went out with another quiet _pfft_, and I huffed in frustration, leaning back upon my hands.

"Blessit," I grumbled, running a slim hand through my sideswept bangs that had fallen loose from my braid. "This is impossible!"

"It's only impossible if you believe it is," corrected Warlic passively. "Nobody but you can hold you back."

_Thanks for that encouragement._

"Master Warlic?" I murmured, tilting my head as I considered the grass under my knees. I plucked one of the greener pieces in my view and pinched it between my thumb and forefinger, puzzling over the texture.

"Hm?"

"How long did it take you to learn how to do this… stuff? To 'have control, but let it be free', I guess." I lifted my left hand, raising the vibrant green blade of grass to the light. The sunlight here in the meadow shone through it oddly, revealing almost every line and fiber that was visible to the naked eye.

A dry chuckle came from my mentor. "A very, very long time, Magiya. Far longer than you have been working at becoming a Mage, I assure you."

That didn't answer my question. "How long?"

"Eh… Almost two or three centuries, if memory serves."

_Wow. He really is an old and crusty Mage._ I tried in vain to visualize my mentor with gray hair, not silver, and with a lined face. I didn't succeed. "When did you finally master it?"

"Oh, many years ago now." Warlic seemed content to simply take a short break, as he did not insist I continue for the time being. I was happy with that. Gazing up at the shockingly blue sky, I saw the sun had moved further than anticipated; it was nearly noon. I really _had_ been working at this for a while, then.

"Hm… How quickly has one of your pupils learned it?"

"How do you mean?"

"I mean… of the students you've taught, who has mastered this skill the fastest? The… the caging the magic, while letting it go."

"I believe the record, if that is indeed what you are asking, was about forty years."

_Forty years? I'll be stuck learning this forever…_

"How's it going?"

I leaped almost a foot in the air at the unexpected (_But not unpleasant,_ my subconscious whispered smoothly before I crushed it violently) voice from behind. Warlic turned too.

"Artix," Warlic said with a faint smile. "Do you need help with something?"

"Yeah, he needs help finding someone to kill him," I muttered under my breath. "Though, I'd _gladly_ do the honors…"

"Peace, Magiya," Warlic said sternly. My mutterings subsided to faint grumblings as I crossed my arms, still sitting on the grass. Krieger walked around so he stood a yard or two in front of me. I childishly refused to look at him.

"There's a bit of a… _situation_ in Moonridge," he began cheerfully, the pale gold highlights in his hair gleaming under the noonday sun. "I'm afraid that someone's called an army of undead to rise, and while I would absolutely love to, I can't take on that number by myself." Finally, he gets to the point… "So, I was wondering if I could borrow her for a day or two?"

"Don't you dare talk about me like I'm not here!" I snapped irritably. No, I wasn't PMSing, but I had gotten relatively little sleep last night. That gave me at least a _little_ bit of an excuse for why I was being so bitchy, right?

Right?

I crossed my arms, my staff lying in the vibrantly green grass by my right knee. Krieger still stood easily about a yard from Warlic and me, and he almost appeared amused by my behavior. However, the skin around his eyes seemed a little tighter than normal; not that I knew what was normal for him, of course. But in comparison to the other times I'd seen the Paladin, he seemed slightly unhappy in some way.

_Of course he's _unhappy, _idiot. Moonridge is one of the villages closest to the Necropolis, and it's about to be absolutely crushed by an undead army._

"That depends," Warlic finally replied to Krieger. "Magiya?"

"Hm?"

"Do you feel comfortable enough with your abilities now to assist Artix in dispatching the undead army?"

I blinked, and then frowned reflectively. _If I'm under pressure, I can't hold the magic and still control it… I'd be about as much good there as I was in the Hydra Cave and that Ice Valley. In other words, very little good. _"How many are there?" I asked instead of giving my answer, finally looking Krieger in the eye. He seemed to smirk slightly at me, but I just glared.

"Almost six thousand," he told me, appearing in my eyes every bit as arrogant as he had seemed the day I met him when he lifted his chin slightly. His weight in that giant, fancy tin can was evenly balanced on both feet in the grass, and I used my left hand to push myself up while my right hand closed around the smooth oak of my staff.

"I won't be all that much good—"

"Every little bit helps," Krieger interrupted with a split-second grin at my roundabout declaration of agreeing to fight with him.

"—And I need to stop by my house to pick up one or two things," I continued, shooting him the evil eye, which he just ignored. But he just nodded enthusiastically once or twice, and delivered a sweeping bow that he somehow managed to inject a modicum of humor and mockery into as he did so.

"Of course, Milady."

"Shut up," I grumbled, taking advantage of his bowed position to smack him lightly on the back of the head. He barely appeared to feel it, though, straightening back up with a contagious grin.

"Which way is your place?" he questioned, sobering up slightly. "We do need to get to Moonridge as soon as we can."

"Master Warlic," I said respectfully, giving my mentor a little half-bow. He inclined his head, and gestured with his staff towards the portal.

"We can resume your training on another day, perhaps," he murmured. "Go, before Moonridge is placed in more serious danger."

"Of course, sir." With that, I gave Krieger a great shove in the back that he probably didn't feel towards the portal. "_Go._"

No sooner were we through the portal and walking quickly through Falconreach did I begin to speak, and my voice scared even me. It was icy, hard, and cold, and I began to wonder if this was the way I usually talked to him. _I just wonder how he puts up with me. Wait, why the hell am I wondering about this?_

"Listen up. You will _not_ attempt to take advantage of me in any way, shape, or form, nor will you treat me like some helpless woman. I can hold my own in battle." _To a degree._ "Before going off on some thickheaded plan, you _will_ consult me. Do you understand, Krieger?"

"I do," he said solemnly as we exited the walls of Falconreach and I strode into the forest, taking a small, well-hidden side path. I knew this trail like the back of my hand; behind me for the whole quarter of a mile, I could hear the Paladin running into tall saplings, thorn thickets, logs, or even getting clobbered by low branches. He was cursing the whole way to my cottage. I snickered quietly to myself. My laughs did not go unheard, however, and I heard a few more… _colorful_ choice words and oaths flying from Krieger's mouth.

_I didn't know Paladins could curse so freely…_

Though, to be quite honest, it was rather funny. That is, up until the point where I heard him mutter something considerably unflattering about Mages and magic users, where I called back to him, "You know, I could just leave you here, lost."

"You wouldn't dare."

The indignant tone in his voice was, I think, what made me relent, and I slowed my pace slightly, occasionally pausing to hold a branch aside. However, the grin that had appeared when he had been cursing like a sailor didn't disappear completely; it merely leveled back to a content smile. Several times, it almost seemed like he was going to say something, but then stopped, as though unsure of himself. It was oddly uncharacteristic of him.

Within a few minutes more, my small house came into view in the grassy clearing it was in. I beckoned Krieger over when I reached the door, and when I was over the threshold, went straight to the sturdy wooden table. There wasn't two square inches of room on the surface of the table, and as I began to dig through the mess for a trinket and a ring or two, I heard the deadly quiet thudding pawsteps of Kai behind me. His unnaturally warm orange-and-gold fur rubbed up against my leg. I smiled. In some ways, my ferocious pet was nothing more than a giant house cat.

"Kai," I murmured as I found one of the things I was looking for, "I'll be gone for a day or two, okay? You'll have to take care of yourself for that time; can you do that?"

A low rumble that one would feel more than hear reached me as I found a necklace as his way of answer. It had an unusually long chain that was scarcely thicker than a few strands of hair, and had a teardrop-shaped ruby pendant hanging at the end that was no larger than my thumbnail. I deftly slipped it over my head and the silver band I'd found before it onto my left index finger.

"I'll see you in a couple days, okay?" I whispered, dropping to my knees for a minute to wrap my arms around my trusted Pridemaster. Kai rubbed his strangely hot cheek along my own, and this time his purr almost felt like a small earthquake. A small smile quirked my lips. "Wish me luck."

With that, I stood, and was about to jog out the door when I slammed straight into a metal-sounding wall. I stumbled, but was prevented from falling when I found that a hard-edged ridge was digging into my lower back. Not even bothering to hold back an exasperated sigh, I used my oak staff to push myself back up, and shot Krieger a withering glare as he stood on my doorstep. His expression seemed amused, and became more so when I turned away to close my door. However, I did so to hide the faint touch of pink that had appeared in my cheeks.

_Why the _hell _are you blushing?_ I silently berated myself endlessly, taking my time turning the lock before I turned to start walking next to Krieger down the path to Moonridge. Kai could get out using the back door, which nobody ever seemed to find. It was always unlocked. _He is your _worst nightmare._ You should most certainly _not _be blushing, and not in front of a really nice guy who's looking at you like he might have his way with you if you even _look _at him the right way. Wait. Nice? SHIT, you stupid, stupid, stupid—_

"You look some combination of pissed off and someone-just-shot-my-puppy. What's wrong?"

"Huh?" I looked up at Krieger as we walked, furrowing my eyebrows. "What are you talking about? I don't have a puppy, and while I think they're cute little anklebiting devils, I don't want one tearing up the house."

Krieger grinned easily as we traversed the path leading towards Moonridge. "You're avoiding the question," he said lightly, a gleam appearing in his pleasant brown eyes. I huffed.

"Well, if you must know, I'm wondering why I got stuck with a Paladin high on life for defeating an undead army," I snipped. But much to my surprise, an answering smile began to curve my lips. No… was I actually… _enjoying_ throwing quips and bantering back and forth?

…

Impossible. Simply impossible. I didn't get along with this man, period.

"High on life, eh?" Krieger said with a grin that stretched even wider. "Then what does that make you? High on magic?"

"That's inconceivable," I sniffed disdainfully. "You don't get high on magic; you get corrupted."

"That's a really easy difference to make," he said cheerfully.

"Is that sarcasm?" I demanded, whirling on him and nearly impaling his nose with a finger.

"I don't know. Is that a challenge?" Krieger responded, a twinkle beginning to glow in those bottomless chocolate eyes.

"Wanna find out?" I retorted, a savage grin spreading my lips. I couldn't see them, of course, but I suspected my denim blue eyes were lighting up just as much as he was.

"Save it for the zombies, kid," Krieger chuckled, slapping my back lightly. Well, it was lightly to _him_; it nearly knocked me off my feet.

"Watch where you're throwing those giant paws!" I snapped almost good-naturedly, but he just laughed again. It was deep, almost gravelly, but I was sure it could be heard for nearly a quarter mile radius around us, were anyone around to listen in this nearly deserted stretch of woods.

"My, my, it's been over a month and you two _still _ get along on violent terms."

"Rolith!" I exclaimed as the Captain came jogging up behind us on the path. He offered a lazy grin, and Krieger slammed him on the back. Rolith barely seemed to feel it.

Damn them for being so strong.

"I got some leave. A lot of the time, it's nice just taking out some zombies, skeletons, and undead instead of the usual bandits."

"You mean it's nice getting a challenge," corrected Krieger, and I rolled my eyes.

"I think I almost might prefer the bandits most of the time," I commented as Rolith moved to walk on my other side, while Krieger walked on my left. He pulled a face.

"Try fighting them all the time and becoming a Captain, then you're welcome to take my job."

"I think she needs to build a little muscle first," observed Krieger with a devilish grin, poking at my upper arm. I slapped his hand away, but I don't think he really felt it.

"I must agree," put in Rolith. I glared at them both, and had a sudden mental image of two small dogs racing in and nipping at a larger dog's heels and annoying the piss out of it.

"Fuck off," I muttered, scowling.

"Yep, she is most definitely rabid!" Krieger gleefully commented from my left. Glowering, I brought my oak staff up and around to whack him over his unprotected head. It was strong enough that the staff itself wouldn't take any damage, however. I heard (and felt) a very, _very_ satisfying _clunk_. Evidently, leverage and the actual weight of the staff was all that allowed me to do this; he was right, I _didn't _have any muscle. Krieger winced, rubbing the back of his head. When I shot a pointed glare at Rolith, he held up his hands in surrender.

"Although prepared for martyrdom to protest warriors getting whacked by crazy women with sticks, I would prefer that it be postponed," he said with a small grin, altering the quote from Sir Winston Churchill; perhaps the only knight in the history of Lore to _not _have a potentially joke-worthy name. I rolled my eyes at him, and there was silence for another few short moments, until:

"Live life like a dog," Krieger announced joyfully, "If you can't eat it, and you can't hump it… pee on it and walk away."

_This is going to be a very long trip._

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><p><strong>Eh heh, I thought a little humor was in order, yes? ^^" I haven't written something this good in months, and I'm on a roll! At the moment, there are about 50-somethin pages on the official file, most of which I'm splitting up into different documents for chapters. :3 <strong>

**I sincerely hope you're all enjoying the story. I had a lot of fun developing the characters. And I do think that I will share a few facts, flukes, and bloopers with you. ^^ **

**Magiya originally was going to be incredibly shy, and VERY antisocial. -.- Thank god she wasn't. But about a half a chapter in, I realized that if I wanted to manage to slip in all of the little jokes, quips, and quotes that I have stacked up, I was going to have to make our little Mage more outgoing and opinionated. As of yet, she still doesn't know the difference between bravery and stupidity, I believe. Maybe it will come into play, and maybe not. It depends on where the story takes us. There's a general flow for it to follow, but little side trips along the main plot are kind of a given. ^^" **

**For me… How to say it…**

**My characters write the story. I just try to keep up. ^^ **

**Hope that everyone's reading and writing spirit stays strong until the next update. It may not be for awhile, but if I can keep up the current writing pace, it will be up shortly, though it's doubtful. ^^ **

**Thanks for reading.**


	6. Energizer Snuffliwumps

**Short chapter this time, friends, sorry about that. I do want to leave myself somewhere to go, after all. U.U**

**Anywho, responses. ^^**

**Thunder of Life:** _I completely understand. Sepulchure's an annoying character. -.- And yes... Artix is.. well, Artix. XD But what on earth did you fail at? O.o_

**Now, no dillydallying, let's get straight to the chapter! :3**

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><p>I eased myself down to the ground, trying and failing to keep my soft groan quiet. Krieger's eyes flicked over to me from a little to my left, about a quarter of the way around the fire. A small sparkle of silent laughter appeared in his warm brown eyes for a moment before it vanished, though he still looked like he wanted to smile. Only a few minutes ago, when he, Rolith, and I had set up camp after taking on a portion of the undead army, Krieger had taken off his armor. Under it, I saw a steel-grey pair of pants that looked to be the same material as my robe, and a slightly lighter grey short-sleeve crewneck t-shirt. Somehow, I had almost expected there to be something <em>else<em> under the Paladin-issued armor, judging by how he moved in it.

"A little sore, are we?" he asked. Even if my eyes had been shut, I would still have heard the grin in his voice. As it was, I just glared at him venomously.

"Bite me," I spat, gingerly stretching my legs out in front of me. I couldn't help the grimace that flashed across my face as I felt my right calf twinge painfully. It seemed I'd pushed my body beyond the bounds of its usual (really pathetic) limits today when attacking the undead army. Krieger's eyes narrowed as I carefully drew the black hem of my Mage robe to my knee, and cringed at the sight of my lower legs.

"I'm going out a limb and assuming you ran out of health potions about halfway through," Krieger speculated, running a hand through his copper hair. My dirty look was answer enough. Rolith didn't look up from where he was fixing a loose hinge on a piece of his armor (hell if I knew which part it was), but I knew he was probably listening. I mentally shrugged, though; I didn't really care. Wincing as my sore, abused, almost nonexistent muscles stretched, I reached down to my feet as I pulled my knees up, gently tugging my white slip-on flats off. Once my shoes were off, I huffed, flopping back on the soft grass with my hands under my head.

"How many did we get?" I heard Rolith ask from across the fire. I shrugged as much as I could while laying horizontal, and Krieger answered.

"From what I could tell? Not nearly enough," the Paladin said dryly. I let out a snort. _Well, duh. _"But," he continued, and I was sure he was shooting an annoyed glance in my direction, "To the best of my knowledge… I think we might have destroyed almost a third of their forces."

"So if we can keep going another two or three days as we did today," I summed up from where I lay staring at the stars, "We can finish up and go home?"

"More or less."

We grew silent again. I studied the stars, and a tiny smile touched my lips as I realized I could recognize a couple of the constellations. _Looks like the brief lessons on astrology a few years ago actually stuck. _That little smirk grew wider as I recalled how much trouble I'd given my astrology teacher then, being bored out of my mind. Due to reading the stars _not_ being my magic of choice, I had no reason to learn it, and decided to have a little… _fun._ I closed my eyes against the veil of the stars that blanketed the near-black sky, the afterimages of stray sparks floating upwards from the fire staining the backs of my eyelids. All was quiet for a long time, save the faint noises and occasional squeak of Rolith fixing his armor and the actually quite frequent snaps and pops of the fire. For once, I had the feeling that I was going to get a good night of sleep after having been sleep deprived for the past almost 72 hours. A pleasant drowsiness was starting to steal over my mind, making it feel like it was enveloped in cotton, and my breathing was starting to slow in the heaviness of slumber. And then, right as I was about to drop off to sleep…

"How do you do it?"

"Hm? Do what?" Rolith sounded genuinely puzzled.

"How do you get her to trust you?" Krieger asked again, his voice unusually soft, and it almost sounded to the nearly-gone awake part of me like he was… wistful. Rolith gave a dry chuckle.

"I didn't," he replied. A little barely-awake part of me wondered if I was in one of those sorts of wakeful dreams, where you know you're awake in some deep part of your mind, but still you dream. Daydreaming, I guess one might call it, only this wasn't during the day. I turned my head to rest it on the upper part of my right arm, not making a sound. This was a pleasant dream, with no snarky comments coming from Krieger and proving it to be real. _I'd like this to stay a dream… He's actually halfway pleasant in this dream._

"Then… why does she trust you so much?" Krieger questioned, and it seemed to my drowsy mind that he might have sounded confused. Rolith was slow to answer this time.

"It… took a while, you might say," he began. "When she first met me, she liked me even less than she seems to like you now. You, at least, she's putting up with."

"What do you mean?"

"She likes you, Artix," Rolith explained, and I could just imagine the Captain rolling his eyes as he said that. My subconscious smiled at the fact that I knew him so well, then frowned at Rolith's statement. _I don't like that snarky idiot._

"…How can you tell?" This didn't sound like Krieger at all, this voice; the four words sounded young and vulnerable, or so it seemed to me.

"If you were anyone else, if you had pissed her off any more when you first met, she would have verbally ripped a hole in you."

"She what?"

"Look—" Here, I could just mentally see Rolith shaking his head at Krieger. "—She may not know it just yet, but she likes you. You're good for her."

_What do you mean?_ I wanted to ask. At this last statement, my consciousness was jerked wide awake, though I showed no outward sign of it. _What the hell are you talking about, Rolith? This son of a jackal is most certainly _not_ good for me!_

"What do you mean?" Krieger demanded, echoing my thoughts, seeming to just remember at the last second to keep his voice down.

"I said you're good for her. You're not like everyone else; she can't read you."

"Read me?"

"Yes. She's learned how to read a person's movements, expressions. But she can't read you, and you keep her guessing," Rolith explained in a low voice. I was stunned. _I… read people? …How the hell do I do that?_

"That doesn't explain why she hates me."

"Artix, if Magiya really hated you, she wouldn't have come on this trip," Rolith said flatly. "She would have nothing to do with you at all. She would even start a fight with you, for all that she would want to throw something at you. When she met me, she routinely ripped me a new one when she got the chance."

"Then?"

"Hm?"

"What happened when you met her?" persisted Krieger. Rolith paused, seeming to me to reflect.

"Well… she showed up at the keep a couple years ago, knew almost nothing about magic, and was searching for Warlic. I had just been made a Captain, and offered to help her along the way."

A moment's pause, then Artix asked, "What did she do?"

"She told me to—in her words, not mine—'fuck off, she could make the journey just fine even riding a damn moglin'."

I heard a badly smothered chuckle from my left, and to my surprise, I almost felt like grinning sheepishly. Rolith still remembered that? I barely did.

"When she ran into the Hydra that usually gives travelers trouble on the bridge, though, I stepped in to help. Magiya evidently decided I was in her way, and pushed me off the bridge into the river before finishing the thing off herself," Rolith continued. His voice was quiet, I could barely hear it as I was lying there, but he was right. I had shoved him off balance before whacking him with my staff so he fell into the water, and clung to the Hydra, before evolving my staff into a different one with a spike at one end, and driving it into its heart.

To say the least, it was a thoroughly messy job. And I was wiped out by the end, being both mentally and physically exhausted.

"When I took her back to the infirmary, she refused to stay there," continued Rolith, and he sounded as though he too might be holding back a laugh. I was grateful to him for it. "However, she made quite a bit of trouble for Sir Junn, insisting to get up and search for 'that useless blonde tin can with a mallet and little stupid wings'." I heard Krieger chuckle again, but I did not feel malevolently towards him for it, much to my surprise. I internally scowled at him, throwing my anger back up. _Jerk. Don't laugh at me!_ Within seconds, I once again wanted to hit him, for all the good it would do me. "She found me and tackled my legs, and did her best to knock me down. Once she had me on my back, she cursed me for all she was worth… then thanked me."

"Did she."

Krieger's tone was clearly unconvinced of the last bit. What, did he think I was completely indecent and inhuman! I wanted to slug him. _I'm still human, you sunofa-_

"She did, actually," Rolith confirmed in a low tone. "And from then on, I guess, she was a little less prickly; she needs to know she can figure you out. She needs to know what you'll do if something in particular happens. Which brings us back to our original point…"

"She doesn't understand me," Krieger murmured quietly, half to himself. "Is that all it is?"

"Well," reconsidered Rolith briefly, "That, and you annoy the hell out of her."

"Makes me unique," he whispered cheerfully. "Not everyone's brave enough to bug a Mage until she's ready to kill you. Still… when do you think she'll warm up to me?"

"It depends," Rolith answered honestly. _How about never? Is never good for you? _I thought viciously. My anger flamed up again, making it all the harder to lie there like I was asleep, breathe slowly, and not show any outward signs of wakefulness. My fury roared like an inferno at Krieger, and as the two men turned to different subjects that didn't involve me, I quashed my sleeplessness down. Well, actually, beating it with a rock, kicking it off a cliff, stomping on it, throwing it under 6 feet of dirt, and dancing on the spot would be more accurate. After a few more minutes of wakefulness, I began to drift off again, my consciousness calming down to the gentle, lulling internal quiet that was sleep.

_My first sleep in 72 hours… happy, happy, joy, joy, and all that shit…_

It felt like only moments after I had re-closed my eyes that I was opening them again, and Rolith was gently shaking my shoulder.

"Wake up, Magiya," he said quietly. I slid back slightly on the grass before sitting up so my head wouldn't collide with his; that had happened once before, and I was in no great hurry to repeat the incident.

"I want to go back to sleep," I grumbled crossly under my breath as I got to my feet and brushed off my robe. I frowned. Something I could see in the faint dawn light that I couldn't in the fire light last night was… stains. Brown dirt stains, green grass stains, and other ones that I would rather have not thought about. Annoyed, I picked up my staff from the grass beside where I had been laying, and looked down at my robe again. Muttering a few choice words to myself, I used what little I knew of magic in this respect to lift the worst of the stains off, with little satisfaction.

"There," I murmured in satisfaction, looking around. The area we had chosen to camp in looked exactly the same in daylight as it did at night, only with a little more detail. There was a dense forest on one side of us, and on the other, a rolling field beneath an open sky that was barely a minute's walk across in width. On the other side of said field was the town of Moonridge, which looked fairly battered. Actually, "fairly battered" was the understatement of the year. Several buildings just from the view of their campsite were still smoking, and one or two of the smaller ones had even collapsed.

The rasp of a sword being sheathed drew my attention, and I looked to my left to see Krieger glance over at me. Anticipation glittered in the deeper parts of his chocolate-colored eyes, and he grinned.

"Ready to do some serious damage?" he asked cheerfully, and I grimaced.

"Not really."

"Then let's get going," Rolith chipped in, hefting his big-ass hammer. He, like Krieger, took absolutely no notice of whatever answer I gave right now; only that I gave one. I ran a hand through my slightly tangled dark brown hair, cursing internally when my fingers caught. Oh well. I could brush it out when I got home, anyway, I reasoned as the guys set off, and I jogged for a moment to keep up with them. Once I was caught up, they parted slightly in the middle to let me through, and somehow, my heart warmed. I glanced up at each of them as we walked across the small field, and I got a clearly visible smile from Rolith, along with a rather boyish grin from Krieger. For some unexplained reason, I felt an answering tug of the lips at the latter. A faint smile almost made an appearance before I scowled at him, glaring at him briefly before continuing to look ahead at Moonridge, and the damage done to the little town.

Rolith sucked in a breath as he saw wave upon wave of undead monsters advancing almost painfully slowly on Moonridge. There was a moment of tense silence between the three of us, before I choked out a few words.

"We're supposed to fight… _that?_"

Not only was the army bigger than it had been (without us taking out more than a quarter of it), but now there just so happened to be a horde of creatures. I could almost feel the power radiating off them, even here, a half a mile away, and it was all I could do to not let my mouth hang open in astonishment. Rolith was all but speechless. Krieger, however, seemed only cheered at the prospect of these things. There seemed to be nearly a thousand of them. Judging from what I could see, they stood at around seven feet tall, had a basic human build, and wore burgundy armor so dark it seemed to be black at first glance. They had claws for hands, and over where their heads should be there was a massive, elaborate helmet. Through the eye slits, something glowed a toxic green color that in any other situation would have made me sick to my stomach.

"Yup," Krieger said, mood still unhampered by the sight of the… things.

"But… what _are_ they?" I demanded, whirling to face him. I must have looked the very picture of terror; dark blue eyes wide, hair almost on end, and the grip of the damned on my staff.

"Entropic Soldiers," he replied easily, as though we were discussing what he was going to eat for dinner. Then again, he had proven he became utterly joyful when taking down anything undead. Personally, it dumbfounded me. But to each their own, yes?

"And… how are we supposed to kill them?" I asked, gesturing at them. They were getting closer to Moonridge, but oh so slowly. We were in no great rush, since most of the city had been evacuated anyway.

"Light works best against them, but whatever element you use, they're still difficult to kill," Krieger answered. While my stomach did an acrobatic flip at these words, they instead seemed to simply invigorate him, as he looked positively ecstatic now. Rolith just looked… solemn. And a tad green.

"I swear to Lore, you two will be the death of me if I don't kill myself first," I muttered, lifting my staff so my fist was at eye level. Using the same force of will I normally used to pick a staff, I allowed a ripple (barely visible to the naked eye, but _very_ visible to my mind's eye) of golden magic run down the length of my simple oak staff. In its place appeared a very elaborate staff, yet nearly indestructible. It had a mostly black grip, while at the head were four scythe-shaped features that were gold-colored, centered around a large circle with what appeared to be black lightning running up the center of said circle. "Who's ready to fuck up some of these… What did you call them? Energizer Snuffliwumps?"

"Entropic Soldiers," corrected Rolith somewhat blankly while Krieger sniggered. My blonde friend's expression was still in shock, to say the least; I think _number_ of monsters may have more than surprised him. However, as I watched, he seemed to shake it off, and blinked. "Well… let's go."

I nodded slowly, taking an extra step to keep up with the two men as we continued over the rise. "…We're probably gonna get our asses whooped, aren't we." I didn't phrase it as a question.

"Yes, but we're also gonna whoop some ass."

"That's what I'm hoping for."

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><p><strong>I told you it was short. Also, it reveals just a bit of the history between Magiya and Rolith. ^^ Not enough to know every detail, but enough that you can get a mental image of it. :3 Heh, I particularly enjoyed writing the part where she wouldn't stay in the infirmary... and I can only wonder how she got Rolith on his back. O.o Most likely through the help of several spells, knowing her; she fights dirty.<br>**

**I wrote a large portion of this while watching the movie _the Labyrinth._ I do love that old movie. ^^**

**Please leave a response if you enjoyed this, because any criticism (constructive or not) does really help me work on how I write. If you saw the Dragonfable fanfiction I did about a year ago, you'll understand I MAJORLY sucked back then. O.o**

**Anyway. *ahem***

**As always, I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you check for the next chapter. ^^Thanks for reading.**


	7. Not A Chance In Hell

**Another chapter. I know it's a bit short, but my life has been more hectic than usual lately.**

**I know, excuses, excuses… You don't need to tell me twice. I just know that I'm sick of my life being so stressful, and barely getting any time at all to myself to write. Even as I write this, I'm sitting at the kitchen counter, and my kitchen smells like Italy. :D I love it. **_**  
><strong>_

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to one of the greatest friends I've had in many years, Leah. *clobberhug* So, thanks to the girl who is probably the only one of the female gender I know who can really kick my butt in a one-on-one fight. *****toasts* Here's to multiple ties in wrestling matches, **_**chica**_**. And if you're reading this, please know that I can't wait to visit you in college! Happy late 16****th**** birthday!**

**Also, before I forget, as most of you are aware, I've changed my username to **_**Juliet'sReplacement**_**, as my Warriors things never took off, so I saw no point in keeping the name.**

**Responses… as per the usual…**

**Thunder of Life:** _Thanks for being a repeat reviewer! *hug* And there's only romance when you use a MICROSCOPE. Really, a magnifying glass, what are you thinking? Though, it should need no more than simple eyeglasses from here on out. X3 Still, thank you so much.  
>And GODDANGIT, I've STILL not managed to beat When. -.- Whenever I do, when the loading scene thingymabob comes up, it says "ERROR" and I LOSE ALL INFO. Bottom line, that bastard's hard to beat. -_- See ya next time!<em>

**Well,**__**I've blabbered on too long. Let's get to the story, yeah?**

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><p>The fight against the seemingly endless army of Entropic Soldiers was… brutal. It was vicious, harsh, and terrible. It was, in short, everything that made one want to avoid a battle, not to mention simply messy. Only four short minutes into the battle, I was nearly coated in monster gore (Skeletons and the like didn't have blood, so there was a reason I was clean yesterday), and my heart rate was almost dangerously high as I cast light spell after light spell at the creatures. And moments after, they seemed to bulge oddly, and either exploded or imploded.<p>

Usually exploded.

Hence why we were coated from head to toe in… undesirables.

We fought for hours. And gradually, my Mana was dangerously low again, and we were provided that brief, almost nonexistent (yet still welcomed) break between waves. I took the opportunity to plop down on the grass, soaked and messy with monster blood and such. _My robe's already ruined enough; this won't make much of a difference,_ I reasoned bleakly. I reached into one of the few small pouches at my waist, and felt around for a moment before withdrawing a small bottle, its shape identical to the shape of a health potion bottle. However, the liquid in this bottle was a dark bluish-purple color, and the consistency was similar to that of honey, whereas health potions were as liquid as you could get. Wearily, I tugged at the cork before putting the bottle to my lips and downing it in one go. I grimaced as the Mana potion raced through my system. The aftereffects of the Mana potion versus the health potion were vastly different, with the follow-up of the Mana potion being far less pleasant.

I glanced over at my companions as I rested for a minute on the ground, and found that they were no better off. Rolith was taking advantage of the few minute break we had to rest as I was, and kneeled on the soaked grass, wrists crossed as they rested on the handle of his enormous hammer. I knew my best friend would never admit it, but if truth be told, he was almost as tired as I was. I knew Rolith's tells; he too was worn down.

_We can't take much more of this, _I realized despairingly, and turned my eyes to Krieger. The Paladin was sagged against a large rock that stood nearly level with my shoulder, sword still out in one hand, while his other metal-gloved hand was halfway run through his copper-colored hair. He looked as done-in as I felt, and he was in much the same state as Rolith and I—bruises on what skin was visible, scratches and abrasions almost everywhere else, and it almost seemed to me that Krieger might have been favoring his right leg. Then I remembered seeing him nearly lose his balance when an Entropic Soldier had attempted to sweep his legs out from under him. I shook my head helplessly at the state our little group was in.

"There _can't_ be many more of these things," I murmured hopelessly, dropping my head into my hands, allowing my staff to fall lightly to the ground beside me. I felt a metal-fingered hand rest gently on my right shoulder comfortingly, and by the weight of the hand, it didn't feel like Rolith. But… Krieger was trying to be friendly, at least, and it would feel wrong to shrug it off, I realized with a pinch of annoyance. And I so badly wanted to move away from his hand, yet at the same time, I didn't want to hurt his feelings.

_What the hell is this?_ I thought furiously, inadvertently tensing slightly. Conflicting emotions was not something I was accustomed to. At once, the hand was removed, and I heard Rolith grimly say two words that made my heart sink.

"They're coming."

In one movement, I was on my feet, my staff gripped tightly in my left hand. I bared my teeth at the oncoming Entropic Soldiers.

_It seems I might have picked up a trick or two from Kai._

The wave this time was much, much bigger than they had previously been; enough to send a bolt of pure, black fear through my heart. It looked almost like half of the original number had been resurrected, and all were coming towards us at once. I let the tip of my staff fall in despair, and my eyes widened.

"Krieger," I said in a perfectly level voice, my tone hiding the way I felt right now (as I usually did), "If we ever get out of this… Lore, you owe me several damn big favors." I heard a sort of slightly strangled chuckle from behind me, just a little to my left, and recognized it as Krieger's. "And trust me when I say, I _always_ collect."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Do you have much other choice?" I questioned dryly, lifting my staff again. I started to reach for the magic again, only to stop when the line upon line of Entropic Soldiers halted about twenty five yards from where my companions and I stood.

_What's going on?_

The sound of calm, measured footsteps came to my ears. As we waited, tense beyond belief for whatever was coming, a feeling of depression, loss, misery, and in general a desolate air settled over me, and by the faint shifting of the Captain and Paladin behind me, it had affected them as well. I set my jaw, determined not to be intimidated by whatever—or _who_ever—was coming.

At last, the monsters we had been fighting for hours parted, and a tall, slim, pale figure came into view. My first impression of her was not one I like to remember, with my entire being screaming _'BITCH!'_ So yeah, I often judge people by their first impression, sue me.

The woman was very tall, rather taller than my five foot eight. She appeared to be nearly six feet (if she wasn't already), even without the pumps. She had startlingly pale skin, and sleek violet hair that was pulled back, though a loose strand still swung into her face. The woman had the kind of body that many of my gender would quite literally kill for, with a tiny waist, thin long legs, and a… _noticeable _bust. Actually, with what she was wearing, it was kinda hard to miss. She wore a dark red strapless outfit, and black leggings that couldn't have been closer to her legs had they been her very skin.

In short… a woman that at first glance, I would lump in with a bunch of prostitutes.

...What? I can't help that I judge books by their covers. And seeing as how she appeared to be the very woman commanding this army… well, I was given a little freedom with judgment, wasn't I?

I curled my lip, feeling more feral than anything right now, just about ready to get physical with her. Which was saying something, since I wasn't typically the physically violent sort, and I had little to no muscle to begin with.

"Why do you fight?"

The words fell from her lips carelessly, and to me at least, it sounded utterly bored. I had to fight to keep a hiss back, but any thought of it just vanished faster than it had appeared at Krieger's stuttered word.

"…Vayle!"

Despite my general instinct to never turn my back on the enemy, I whirled to face Rolith and Krieger, and my eyes flew wide in astonishment. Not even looking at her now, I whipped an accusing finger up at the woman.

"You know this sl—this woman?" I demanded, fury dimming for only a moment at the shock before coming roaring back, only a thousand times worse. And I wasn't just angry at the woman—Vayle?—either. For some inexplicable reason (just like usual), I was angry at Krieger again.

_He knows her, evidently well enough to recognize her in this completely exhausted state we're all in, and he doesn't even try to do anything to stop her? That… that... _A growl slipped out from between my clenched teeth as he just nodded, wordless in amazement.

"Vayle," he said again, but this time it… sounded different. He sounded happier, like he _hadn't_ been fighting the endless undead army for more than six hours. And… it made me angry, for no reason I could name. I swung around again, lifting the end of my simple oak staff, ready for the battle to resume, when she lifted something in her hand. It was a skull, it appeared, one of the ones from a Skeleton we had dispatched yesterday. Almost immediately, my defenses were up, and I warily prowled (for lack of a better term) backwards a few steps until I was once again even with my companions. A giant, floating pink jewel drifted from behind her, and instantly flared. The eerily sinister magenta light reflected off all of our faces, including the recently known Vayle's. The partially destroyed skull promptly shattered into a dozen or more bits and pieces of bone, and began to whirl in a circle above Vayle's right hand before she caught them in a fist and tossed them on a section of the ground not far from us. No sooner had the small fragments of what used to be a skull hit the ground than they turned a frightening shade of red, radiating a sort of scarlet aura shortly prior to sinking into the gore-soaked ground.

A horrible rumble that nearly knocked all of us off our feet shook the ground, and from where the chunks of skull had landed, the ground seemed to explode upwards in a terrifying show of dark power. When the light faded, there stood something simply… huge. This thing that had risen from the ground on command from its master was something that could only be described as the creature which is known to haunt the nightmares of the innocents.

Of course, the other _optional_ description was an Undead Goliath. Not that it mattered much, though—long story short, the creature was simply huge, and even without it having been raised by a master Necromancer, I would have tried my very hardest to kill it anyway. I may have been jugemental of it, yes, but cruel I was not. However, this creature wasn't alive. It would do its very best to kill any living thing it set its eyes on, and that was reason enough for it to die a second time.

Grimly, I tensed my sore, almost nonexistent arm and shoulder muscles, managing to set the base of my staff forward a few inches. I don't exactly know how, but… I was ready to fight again. Even as my mind and body both screamed at me, '_No more! NO MORE!_' I couldn't stop. I could never stop fighting, even if I knew the end result lay in my defeat.

This was one of those times.

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><p><strong>. . .<strong>

**I did tell you it would be a short chapter, did I not? ****I believe I did.**

***ahem* Commence with the bricking, fans… no new chapter until the pure insanity of my life wears off… even a little bit.**

**As always, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it, as that is the point of all this.**

**Oh, and a quick little side note! Those of you who have played through all of Artix's quests in the Necropolis, and know of the whole storyline with Vayle and that huge pink jewel… Things aren't gonna go as planned. At least, things aren't going to happen in this story the same way they do with the storyline, cause I make my own stuff. ;D**

**If you've been on Youtube and seen _Artix vs The Undead_, this is where I got the little action scene from... with a few twists.**


	8. Doodleheads and Penguins

**Quick recap before we continue on. This one was going to be a super-long chapter, but I cut it up into two parts because I really wanted to update with SOMETHING. Am I right?**

**Really quick, responses! I wanna get started!**

**Thunder of Life:** _Aw, thank you! ^.^ With the violence, I might have to disappoint you a little bit… but you won't need a microscope quite so much anymore. X3 And why on earth would you think that I wouldn't write it? O.o Of course I will. The real issue will be the WHEN factor of getting it out. ^^"  
>Vayle… oy. Am I the only one here who absolutely hates her for no apparent reason? X3<br>I COULDN'T AGREE MORE. I can't stand the VayleXArtix pairing, personally. -.- Bugs the hell out of me…  
>And here is your update! ^^ Thanks so much for being a constant reviewer!<em>

**Kirei Ryuusei:** _Thanks for following! ^^ Funny thing about Magiya is, I didn't spend all that much time on the character profile at all. I chose a general attitude and followed through with it. An idea I really take to heart is "My characters are like my children"... I try not to think too far into their attitudes, just that they ARE. :3 Thanks for liking her.  
>And yeah, Artix is my favorite too. XD<em>

**ALRIGHT! TO THE STORY!**

**Recap:**

_A horrible rumble that nearly knocked all of us off our feet shook the ground, and from where the chunks of skull had landed, the ground seemed to explode upwards in a terrifying show of dark power. When the light faded, there stood something simply… huge. This thing that had risen from the ground on command from its master was something that could only be described as the creature which is known to haunt the nightmares of the innocents._

_Of course, the other optional description was an Undead Goliath. Not that it mattered much, though—long story short, the creature was simply huge, and even without it having been raised by a master Necromancer, I would have tried my very hardest to kill it anyway. I may have been judgmental of it, yes, but cruel I was not. However, this creature wasn't alive. It would do its very best to kill any living thing it set its eyes on, and that was reason enough for it to die a second time. I fought to keep from shuddering or trembling as the Undead Goliath lifted from the ground where it had risen an enormous, aged, slightly chipped sword that suited the size of its master. The blade may have been nicked in more than a few places, but the sword itself was still deadly sharp, and able to cut down anything in its path._

_Grimly, I tensed my sore, almost nonexistent arm and shoulder muscles, managing to set the base of my staff forward a few inches. I don't exactly know how, but… I was ready to fight again. Even as my mind and body both screamed at me, 'No more! NO MORE!' I couldn't stop. I could never stop fighting, even if I knew the end result lay in my defeat._

_This was one of those times._

* * *

><p>Suddenly, a very long bolt of pure light that hurt my eyes with its painfully bright rays shot past me, close enough that I couldn't see for several seconds afterwards due to the afterimages burned into my dark blue irises. I blinked, and was confronted with a scene that my subconscious—even if it were high on something very potent and highly illegal—couldn't have dredged up.<p>

Krieger had sheathed his sword (and from the looks of things, it wouldn't have done him any good in any case), and replaced it with a huge, worn-out hammer that outsized even Rolith's. If not for the fact that I could almost feel the ground shaking with each blow Krieger and the Undead Goliath traded out, I would have bet my left eye on it being some sort of hallucination. The stone hammer grasped tightly in Krieger's metal-covered fist was, simply put, huge. It was plain, and with no decoration save the slightly metallic sheen of the grip.

For the space of several heartbeats, I could do nothing but watch as the two went at it. Krieger had done something to the hammer so that when he threw it at the Undead Goliath, after it had gone about fifty meters, it just whipped back around and flew back into his hand. He had already blasted off the creature's forearms with some light spell that I seemed to have missed, but Vayle had shot a small orb of dark purple magic at the undead thing so that every time something was chopped off, it reconnected. As a result, the arms were now reattached, and Krieger was making very little (if any) headway against it.

My first thought was unexpected, even for me.

_That is one big-ass piece of rock._

The next few were a little more plausible.

_I can see why he's using it instead of his sword, but how in the _hell _does he manage to lift the thing, much less swing it around like it's a fucking feather. Damn you strong people! But still… Krieger wouldn't be using that hammer if it didn't have light as its element. And he's obviously got enough experience with dealing with these undead to know their weaknesses, so he knows best… Wait a second. ROLITH! Why the fuck aren't you helping him!_

A sidelong glance at my friend of multiple years revealed that Rolith was, in fact, doing absolutely nothing to help Krieger.

_Okay… I _know _Rolith knows I hate him, and I know that the captain's on good terms with that ape-shit Paladin, but this is ridiculous! I may have little to no regard for Krieger, but Lore, even _he _needs help with something like this._

"Come on!" I snapped at the captain beside me, pointing my staff forward as I mentally prepared another spell. Although, it would be just a little difficult, because of how quickly Krieger and the Undead Goliath were leaping around, exchanging hits. I'd have to be careful, because I was putting all I could into this.

"Stop."

I had the command for a light spell half formed in my mind before Rolith's quiet command penetrated, and the moment it did, I froze.

"What do you mean?" I demanded of my friend, my scatterbrained attention span forgetting entirely about the spell I had been about to call upon. "Look at that… that… _thing_ he's fighting! Don't tell me you can't sense the fucking _power_on it! Hell, _you_ would need help fighting that damned creature! We can't just _not_ help!"

In the back of my mind, a small part of me (the part of me that I always wanted to scream '_DIE VOICE DIE_' at) slyly asked me why it was I cared so much, and what happened to that mental armor of mine?

"This isn't our fight," Rolith objected quietly, but in a voice that brooked no argument. "You saw him. He knew Vayle at some point, and she's the one who created this monster."

"So?"

"So, we can't help him."

"The hell we can't!" I stood right up against Rolith, so that the furious battle was to my left and my staff in my right hand, I poked him in the chest—probably hurting my finger more than I did him. "Listen, I don't know if _you're_ too much of a coward to help Krieger with that thing, but I can tell you this; I'm _not_!" I turned towards the fight again, and once more prepared to utter a spell that would cause at least some measure of damage to the Undead Goliath when Rolith fiercely grabbed my wrist in an almost bruising grip.

"Don't!" he warned, his eyes narrowing. "How many times, Magiya, his fight is not ours!"

"But—"

"If we helped him, even a little bit, and we succeeded in bringing that thing back to meet its Maker, then Artix would feel like he was less of a man—not as strong, not able to fight his own battles, and downright humiliated! This is a matter of personal pride, you understand?"

I understood. Oh, did I ever.

Pride was one thing that, no matter how I tried, was one thing I couldn't overcome in my very wide range of emotions. So, yes, I understood Rolith's reasoning and Krieger's issue, but that didn't stop me from wanting to do my best to help him. Another factor was that Rolith had rarely ever raised his voice in my presence, much less to me personally, and… it scared me a little bit. Not that I would ever admit that, but it was true.

_Why do you want to help him?_

I started slightly at the question raised by the furthest corner of my mind, and I dimly registered Rolith releasing my left wrist when I made no further movement.

_Because… because that thing needs to be brought down, and I know that flea-brained Paladin's not strong enough to do it._

_Oh, and _you_ are?_ my mind snorted disbelievingly. _That's the worst piece of shit I've heard in ages._

_Every little bit helps,_ I flared right back up at that small corner of my mind. I was sure that if it were possible, I would have probably gouged it right out of my head by now, as this was the one part of my mind that just refused to be blocked by barriers. My eyes stared unseeingly at the terrifying battle taking place not too far in front of me.

_That doesn't answer the question!_ snapped this dark portion of my mind. _Why do you want to help him at all? You have a grudge against him. You hate him with a vengeance. Just the very mention of him makes you upset, furious, and then you have a whole lot to say about him! So why do you want to help Artix Von Krieger!_

_Because it's what Warlic would want me to do! It's how I've been trained! He's a fucking comrade and I'm supposed to help him… not that I want to!_

_Sure you don't,_ it responded tartly and sarcastically. _Rolith had to raise his voice at you. That's enough for you to know that you want to help _too _much._

_Bullshit! _I screamed internally.

_Oh? If it is, then tell me why you _really _want to help him!_

I would have ended this internal argument long ago, if not for the fact that I am just too stubborn to do so. But at this particular moment… I couldn't come up with an answer. And that bothered me. Instead of providing a reply, I slammed my mental barriers back in place as firmly as I could.

_Behind these walls… this is the only place I am safe,_ I told myself quietly, my face smooth and composed. _This Paladin… he's getting to me. I can't let him. I never will._

My eyes refocused on the battle between the Undead Goliath and Krieger as all parts of it save the skull and helm vanished into little black particles as Krieger suddenly hurled a white-hot spear with the head and wings of a dragon decorating the head of the shaft at the monster. It whipped around after about another seventy meters or so, and came whipping back into his fist. Krieger looked fairly battered from what I could see, and nothing short of exhausted.

For a moment, I almost felt sorry for him… but then my walls slammed back into me with enough force to almost take my breath away. I felt nothing but hatred towards him once more.

_You opened up to him once. That was a mistake._

My mind brought back the memories of that one afternoon, by the stream, after he had rebroken and then healed my arm. I had actually started to drop my mental spears… and the result of doing something that potentially dangerous was just not worth it to me.

Rolith hurried forward to support Krieger as he staggered forward, making himself a human crutch for the Paladin and tugging Krieger's right arm over his shoulders. The two then proceeded to walk back towards me, and even though he was moments from passing out from blood loss, Krieger took a look around the now-abandoned battlefield. The army of Entropic Soldiers had disappeared (along with Vayle, the hooker necromantress) at the Undead Goliath's appearance. If ever there was something to keep a person up at night, that would be it. How in the _hell_ did that slut-dressed necromantress manage to get a little over a thousand undead, about four thousand skeletons, and herself to just… nowhere?

And even more mystifying, how did she manage to do it without us noticing? One by one, perhaps?

My friend, when he got over to me, carefully laid Krieger down on the grass, propping him against the large rock before kneeling down by his shoulder. I could see multiple dents, scratches, and even a fist-sized hole punched in two places where I could see blood slowly oozing out in the gradually dimming light. What almost worried me was that one of the holes in his armor was around his navel, and with a sort of stab wound like that right _there,_ Krieger could easily bleed to death in a matter of minutes if it wasn't stopped. Also, if I didn't know any better, I'd say Rolith was starting to freak out a little bit, despite his outwardly calm and methodical demeanor. He checked inside his own armor briefly, and I realized what he was looking for as I knelt down by the Paladin. I gingerly moved a slim hand over Krieger's mouth, and found his breath coming steadily, if a bit unevenly.

_Idiot,_ I thought wryly as I pulled my only other health potion from one of the three small bags at my belt. _He almost got himself killed. All for pride…_ I proceeded to tug the cork of the small bottle out with my teeth, and then slid my left knee under Krieger's torso. _And you, being the softhearted little useless magic user you are, can't do anything but help when a human needs it… or an animal… just not most monsters…_ I left my staff, now back to its original oak appearance, lying on the gore-soaked ground by my right knee as I used my free hand to tip the bottle full of red liquid into Krieger's mouth.

"Will that heal everything?" Rolith questioned slightly worriedly.

"No," I answered absently. "But it _will_ keep him from bleeding to death." In my peripheral vision, I saw Rolith blanch, and internally sighed. "Put it this way; it will get him mostly healed. He'll still be banged up a bit, but he can walk."

"Good to know," muttered a voice from beneath my hands. I instantly switched my gaze to glare at the copper-haired man right below me.

"Next time you're going to try and get yourself killed, do it for something worthwhile," I snapped at him, casting a quick glance down his armor to see if the worst of his injuries had been mended. To my unexpected relief, they had been.

"Don't tell me you care," he teased pathetically. His voice was rough, and while he was now conscious and the more life-threatening wounds fixed, he was by no means back to normal.

"Of course not," I sniffed, standing abruptly so his head banged back against the boulder. I heard a rather painful-sounding _thunk_, and then a colorful curse or two; one of them directed my way.

"Ruthless Bambi," he muttered to himself. "Looks innocent, but's fiery as hell." I wasn't sure I was meant to hear that, but I responded to it, regardless.

"Butthead!" I whipped back at him as he slowly got to his feet, grimacing before glaring daggers at me.

"Crap-for-brains!"

_So that's how you wanna play, huh? _"Twit!"

"Jerkface!"

"Penguin!"

"Egghead!"

"Butt-pipe!"

"Monkey butt!"

"Zippy the pinhead!"

"Spazmoid!"

"Potty mouth!"

"Pickle head!"

"Tar breath!"

"Fairy floss!"

"Dipstick!"

"Nitwit!"

"Schnozwhistle!"

"Doodlehead!"

"You take that back!" I screeched, my hands now balled up into fists at my sides, and Krieger nose-to-nose with me in much the same position.

"Why?" he challenged, and with shock and a little bit of anger, I realized that I was, in some sick and twisted way, enjoying this.

"Because nobody messes with me!" I shrieked, sticking a finger in his armor-plated chest. "And _you_ will not mess with me, because you will _not_ win!"

"_I'm_ gonna win!" retorted Krieger, crossing his arms with a victorious grin in a 'that's final' gesture. If he thought that was it, he couldn't have been more wrong.

"Okay, guys, maybe we should try and find our way back—"

"Shut it, Captain Constipation!" I screamed at Rolith before realizing exactly what I said, and promptly slapped both hands over my mouth and turned very, very red. I couldn't see the flush that swiftly claimed all available skin, but I could feel it. My face was bright scarlet. He was just looking at me in a rather odd way, one eyebrow raised, and I didn't even notice when Krieger lost his shit and started laughing like a fool (nothing new there), rolling on the ground. But what really caught my attention was when I saw the twitch of Rolith's mouth, and then I saw the sparkle in his eyes.

Oh, Lore. He wanted to laugh too.

Personally, I was just too mortified to even think of laughing, and while Krieger clearly had no such compunctions, Rolith was putting his all into not moving. My eyes narrowed, and as Rolith just collapsed on the ground in a fit of laughter next to Krieger, I sighed irritably, before going over and kicking both of them as hard as I could in the ribcage. Since they had armor on, I hurt my foot more than I hurt either of them, but my point had been made.

"Let's go home," I growled, more angry at myself than them. Although… I guess it _was_ pretty funny… Maybe. But… I couldn't help it! It just slipped out! I was so _focused_ on returning the insults from Krieger that I just accidentally called Rolith one of the names my freaky mind had supplied.

Ah, well.

_Such is life_, I thought in dark humor as I struggled to pull both men to their feet, still laughing and giggling like a pair of schoolgirls, to pull them in the direction of the town. We needed to rest up for a day, and now that the army was gone, we could head home tomorrow.

Although, the task of fighting a dragon seemed less arduous than getting these two juveniles to stop laughing… An Olympian feat, indeed.

* * *

><p><strong>*ahem*<strong>

**Well… Ignoring the fact that our characters wouldn't know what the words "An Olympian feat" would mean, since they don't live on earth and therefore have no idea what Mt Olympus is… I think it was pretty good. ^^ What about all of you?**

**As per the usual, I really hope that you all enjoyed it. X3 I was on a sugar high from Lifesavers hard candy when I wrote this, and as a result has more silliness and humor in it than is usually seen. But then, it was necessary.**** Also, several of these names I have in fact used on others and been called. X3 I think Spazmoid, Tar Breath, and Fairy Floss are my favorites. Then again, there's always Penguin. XD**

**Please leave a response if you enjoyed this chapter! :3 I'd love to know!**

**Subscribe if you'd like to read more! :3 Now, I will escape to laugh like an idiot and then sleep. X3 G'night everyone!**

**OH! Before I forget.  
>The next update may be a little long in coming, due to a project in Spanish that I need to work on, mainly focused on Fidel Castro. -.- So, just a warning. Chapters almost NEVER come this frequently. It might be a bit until the next update, but I just wanted to get this out to satisfy everyone's curiosity. ^^<strong>


	9. Crafty in the Middle

**Whoof.**

**Hello to all of you! Let me tell you… it was exhausting writing this chapter. Simply exhausting. This whole scene (chapter, section, what have you) took about two weeks to write… Hell if I know why…**

**Anyway, responses. Let's get to 'em!**

**Kirei Ryuusei:** _Hah, it's annoying when the button refuses to obey. X3 I feel your pain. I'm glad you like it so far, and I'm thrilled you like Magiya! I tried to make her charming in her own way, but with very real and very human flaws.  
>It wasn't easy.<br>And heh, Artix is my favorite too. X3 Always has been. Although... Zhoom is a close second. U/./U_

**Thunder of Life: **_Hah, thanks. X3 And yes... I know that the ping-pong insults were really OOC... maybe I'll change that, maybe not. U.U I just wanted to show a little adorable stress between them. XD It worked. It took me almost half an hour to fix that up, I'm glad you laughed at it. ^^  
>And believe you me, that hammer may be my favorite weapon in the game. XD Maybe just because of the video... but I dunno. *shrug* From what I remember of the storyline flittering to and fro in my fiddlefudged brain, ruined by candy at the moment, he picked it up from the ground... O.o Maybe we'll find out. Maybe the DF creators shall REVEAL ALL!<br>...Yeah, and maybe a flying unicorn will come and let me skip school tomorrow. Thanks again! :3  
><em>

**Now, quick recap. **

**In the last chapter, Artix and Magiya got into a short name calling contest after Artix beat the Undead Goliath, and Magiya thoroughly embarrassed herself when she mistakenly called Rolith "Captain Constipation". Now, they are wrapping things up in Moonridge before going home.**

* * *

><p>"…And if you ever need <em>any<em>thing, please let us know!"

"Of course."

"You have horses, supplies, potion refills, your reward… are you sure there isn't anything else we can give you?"

"Yes sir, we're quite sure."

I steeled myself to not roll my eyes and just lose my temper with the mayor of Moonridge. This had to be the _fifth time_ he asked us if we needed anything else for the journey back. 6000 gold, split three ways, enough supplies for six men, and… grr… three _horses_.

As the three of us—Rolith, Krieger, and I—walked away from what seemed to be the entire town seeing us off, I finally let out a long, slow gust of air.

"Next time… stop him, please," I muttered under my breath. "If I had to put up with his 'Oh, thank you so much', 'We owe you our lives', or 'ALL HAIL' any longer, I would have ended up sealing his mouth shut."

"I'll keep that in mind," chuckled Krieger. In his right hand, the paladin walked with the reins of a simply massive grey horse, while his left hand was occupied by the reins of what was _supposed_ to be my horse.

As I glanced sideways at the huge black equine, I shuddered at the thought. The mean-spirited creature was nothing more than 1200 lbs of solid muscle and bone, and could undoubtedly dent my skull from one kick easily.

"What's wrong?" asked Rolith curiously, looking over at me from the other side of Krieger. He held the end of the reins to a large bay stallion. I just shook my head vehemently, causing a few loose strands of dark brown hair to drift into my face.

"Nothing," I said hastily, perhaps a little too quickly. It was this that caught Krieger's attention. Those coppery-brown eyes latched onto me and followed my line of sight before I furiously looked away, and I swear to Lore I could hear that _click_ as the gears in his head connected the dots.

"Magiya," he said slowly, and just by his tone I could tell he was trying not to laugh, "Don't tell me that… You're not scared of horses, are you?"

_Damn._

"No," I nearly growled, praying he wouldn't notice how I was walking slightly apart from the two of them, because they were the ones leading the horses. In my peripheral vision, though, I could see him looking back and forth between me and the black stallion that was supposed to be mine, almost comical with how quickly his head was moving. "I am _not_ scared of them."

Stupid man, he called my bluff. I could tell because his footsteps (as well of those of Rolith and all three horses) stopped.

"You don't like horses?" he repeated incredulously.

"Did you even hear me, stone ears?" I demanded, whirling to face him. The two horses Krieger was leading eyed me, and I took a step back. Hell if _I_ was going to be the one kicked by these vicious animals. "I am _not_ afraid of horses!"

"Magiya…" Rolith began, and a glance at my long-time friend revealed him to be goggling at me, as though I had suddenly grown two heads. "You're not… are you?" I thought he knew me better than that.

"No!" I spat as a slightly crooked grin split Krieger's face, and his eyes sparkled with humor. _Damn that man._

"You really don't like horses?" he queried, staring at me as though I was the newest monster in Lore. "What is _wrong _with you?"

"Look in a mirror, you freak of nature!" I snapped back.

"C'mon, what's wrong with them?" he needled as we resumed walking.

"Everything!"

"Magiya!"

I grumbled crossly under my breath before mumbling grudgingly, "…They're dangerous at both ends, and crafty in the middle…"

The near-silence then was broken abruptly by the paladin laughing breathlessly, and causing the two stallions in his hands to jerk their heads back before quieting. I nervously kept an eye on them, almost forgetting my anger at Krieger in my sudden wariness. Over the stallions' backs, I saw Rolith with his free hand over his mouth, and his back was moving erratically. Laughing.

_Idiots._

Then my mouth nearly fell open as Krieger, still snickering, held out the reins of the black stallion to me. The huge creature looked at me calmly with large, liquid brown eyes, set on either side of a white patch right in the center of its forehead. I stared back.

"Climb on," he said, grinning widely. I shot him a brief, venomous glare before returning my gaze to the black horse in front of me.

"_Fuck_ no."

"Climb on," he said again, the grin fading slightly, though his eyes still gleamed. "He's not going to hurt you."

"How do you know?" I growled, still refusing to take the reins he offered with his left hand. I heard him sigh, and could all too easily picture him rolling his eyes.

"How about this; you get on, and I'll lead him along. Deal?"

"Not just no, but _hell_ no."

"Magiya," he said exasperatedly, grin gone. "You need to learn to ride a horse. If you climb on, I promise you right here and now that I will not let this horse go faster than a walk, just like we've been doing."

I nearly jerked as I realized that, as he had been speaking, I was actually considering doing it. The absolute calmness and trustfulness in the black animal's eyes was beginning to win me over. But then I saw the solid, rippling muscle in its shoulders, legs, and hindquarters, and changed my mind.

_He never makes promises,_ whispered that side of my mind slyly. _He always keeps them whenever he does._ I promptly crushed that side with a large rock.

"No," I said for what was hopefully (but unlikely to be) the final time. However, much to my dismay, the resolve in my voice was significantly less prominent than when I had last refused. To my increasing horror, Krieger picked up on this.

"Get on the horse!" he said triumphantly, his grin reappearing now that victory was near. But oh, he couldn't have been more wrong. I was _not_ one to back down. He should have known me better than that.

I crossed my arms stubbornly, refusing to move. I saw Krieger roll his eyes before tersely tying the black horse's reins to his grey stallion's saddle and swinging up. Rolith, on his right, did the same. Next thing I knew, I was sitting far too high above the ground for my liking, with metal at my back and a saddle tied to over half a ton of pure muscle underneath me. I froze immediately, sure that any kind of a freak out right now would cause the grey stallion to spook, getting me tossed.

"Krieger," I hissed, beginning to turn around to give the Paladin right up against my back a piece of my mind. Then without warning the creature under us began to move, and I clung to the piece of the saddle in front of me with the grip of the damned. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, hating the rocking feeling the horse moving gave me. If at all possible, I tightened my grip on the saddle.

I didn't even so much as twitch when Krieger whispered quietly in my ear, "I'm not going to let you fall. Besides, we're just walking. You can ease up the death grip on the reins of _your_ horse." Cracking one eye open slightly, I could see that the part of the saddle I was clinging to was indeed the part where he had tied the black horse's reins to. Past that, I could barely see the ground going by under us past a pale grey shoulder. True to his word, we were only walking.

With that comforting thought, I muttered back, "As soon as I catch you without your armor… so help me, if it's the last thing I do, I will kill you slowly and _painfully_."

"Ah, princess, that will be a bit difficult, you see," Krieger said in a quietly cheerful voice. I could feel the slight wind his breath stirred on the back of my neck, where my hair had been pushed to the side over one shoulder. "Because the only time I'm without my armor is—"

"Don't need to hear it!" I snipped, finally opening my eyes all the way.

_You know, it's not all that scary being up here,_ I realized, looking around at the forest path we were traveling on. _If we're not going fast, then it's actually kind of… nice._ Then I was suddenly distracted slightly by the tiny waves of air sliding over my neck as he chuckled a little breathlessly.

"You're relaxing," he murmured approvingly. "See? You're learning. It's not that bad."

"Not bad my ass," I grumbled, but with less malice than before. "This is _horrible_."

_Now stop lying,_ the more docile side of my head chastised. _It's not as bad as you thought it would be._

_Go away, why don't you!_

"Horrible?"

"Yes!"

"Really?"

It didn't really sound like a question when Krieger said it. It sounded more like a prompt of some sort, like he was waiting for the real answer.

Damn him.

"… I…" I opened and closed my mouth a few times before finally just huffing dropping my head. "Shut up."

I could feel the vibrations of Krieger's quiet laughter reverberating through the breastplate of his armor then, and surprisingly… I didn't feel any hatred or spite towards him for it. In my mind's eye, I could almost see the darker, nastier side of my consciousness trying to fan the flames of my disdain for him.

It worked.

I lapsed into a frosty silence on the massive grey battle horse, the black one still following along behind, its reins tied to Krieger's and mine's saddle. Several times in the course of about a half an hour or so, he attempted to start a conversation, but to no avail. Mostly, we simply rode at a walk in the near-quiet of the forest. Of course, there was the occasional birdsong and chatter of small animals; the complete opposite of how I felt right now. But that paladin just couldn't seem to keep his big mouth shut, continuing to babble on about trivial subjects and occasionally shooting a question at me that I either refused to answer or gave a short, concise answer to. Then came one that I honestly hadn't been anticipating.

"Why do you never call me by my name?" he asked curiously, and I could just visualize his copper-colored eyes shining with pure, honest wonder. I quickly destroyed the mental image.

"I do!" I protested, frowning. "Krieger. That _is_ your name, isn't it?"

"You know what I mean," he persisted. "My name is Artix von Krieger. Everyone calls me just Artix. Except you. Why is that?"

"Because!" I grumbled. "Is it wrong that I really don't have a reason, 'just Artix'?"

"Not at all."

"Then why the hell are you asking!"

"Is curiosity a bad reason to want to know something?" he retorted from behind me and several inches up, and I muttered a few less than complimentary things before growing quiet again. He just laughed quietly in that way of his that I had grown to recognize. I swear that if I were blindfolded, I could pick out his laugh among a group of others.

_Is that a bad thing?_ Damn that voice.

_SHUT UP._

We rode along at a walk for a little while longer, and much to my surprise, Krieger had actually lapsed into a sort of thoughtful silence at my back. It wasn't… bad, necessarily, but… I had grown quite used to his chatter filling the empty pauses between conversations.

"Why are you always so mistrustful?"

It took me a second to answer, so unexpected was this particular question—even though I'd often wondered about it myself.

"I'm not!" I responded, my voice cutting like a whip. However, he seemed a little more resolute to keep this up than I was. To tell the truth (not that I wasn't before), I had no idea exactly _what_ the paladin had in mind. Setting his jaw, he continued.

"But you're always so guarded. Let someone in so that someone can really care," he protested, and I turned my head sideways to at least get some semblance of eye contact when I spoke again. Even so, the scrap of brown I could see at the corner of my eye didn't help me decipher his expression any. _Just like Rolith said,_ I thought grumpily, momentarily reflecting to that night when I had laid awake listening to them talking about me. _I can't read him._

"I don't need anyone to care. I can take care of myself. And I _do_ let people in," I added as an afterthought in a rather irritable tone. However, even as I said it, I knew it wasn't true. Krieger was right; I _did_ have serious trust issues, and didn't let anyone in.

"Even without you telling me you had walls a few weeks ago, even without knowing you much longer than I have, even _I_ can see the walls around you," Krieger hissed from behind me, sounding slightly angry. "I don't know why you have them, and I don't know how long you've had them for, but what I _do_ know is that those walls you relentlessly keep up frequently keep people out. You need someone in your life, whether it's to take care of you because of how often you get into trouble or just to be your friend."

"That's not—"

"You need someone in your life," he repeated, cutting off my protests. "You probably have those walls for a reason—hell, anybody who has walls as strong as yours has them for a reason—but you need to let go of whatever it is that you're trying to hide." Before I knew it, Krieger's voice had acquired a hard edge, almost cold, and I'd never heard him sound this… _serious_ before. Previously, he had always said whatever it was that he had to say with a sort of gleam in his eye, a funny tilt to his words—not this time. This time, he was dead serious, I could tell, even without the added benefit of looking at him to try and puzzle out his expression.

"I have nothing to hide." I replied to his accusation scathingly, not even attempting to hide the knives and daggers in my voice. And in my mind, it was true. At first glance in my convoluted mind, I had nothing that I needed to _hide_, per se; I just wanted to protect myself… keep my mind from any further damage than what I'd seen in my life so far.

"You have something to hide. Everyone does," Krieger continued. He didn't sound as livid as I must have right then, but he sounded reasonably annoyed. Hey, to me, that was perfectly fine; lots of people got annoyed with me. In this one case, though, past the irritation I felt at his criticism, I felt strangely… _proud_ of myself, I suppose. It wasn't easy to aggravate a paladin like this, after all. His next statement brought me back down to earth, perfectly furious with him by now. "You just haven't found the right person to trust."

"And you're that person, right?" I cynically remarked, not expecting an answer.

I got one anyway.

"I'm trying to be," Krieger said quietly, almost so softly so as for me to have difficulty hearing. Again, when he said this, his breath ghosted over the back of my neck, causing odd little goosebumps to race all the way down my arms and over my shoulders. I fought my body's demand to shiver, because knowing him, it would only make him laugh again. And while the main part of my consciousness was irritably protesting making him chuckle, the little, dark, neglected, despised section of my mind that _didn't_ abhor Krieger was… urging me to amuse him. It didn't want to constantly wish for the strength to kill him. It was just the part of me that wanted me to make others happy.

And up till now, it had never been quite this prominent (nor quite this much trouble) before. But my question was, was there any way to get rid of it?

"Tell me," he said cheerfully, and I could tell he was trying to use a more lighthearted tone, "Do you like me?"

"_What?_" I demanded, my head whipping as far around as it would go to confront him.

"I said, do you like me?" he repeated, and I could hear the wide grin in his voice.

_Yes, of course you do,_ interrupted the hated part of my mind again.

_GO AWAY!_ I angrily screamed at it internally. Some of this anger must have leaked out into the part of my head that handled speaking, because when I answered, my voice was cold and hard, and sent little chills down my spine.

"No," I gritted out. "I don't. Nobody could ever like you, Krieger, because you are _such _a _pain in the ass_. You annoy the hell out of everybody you encounter, not just the monsters!" I could almost feel his wince, but the sadistic side of me wanted to really hurt him this time. Meanwhile, my better part was trying to stem the flow of anger and insults suddenly flooding and overwhelming my head. Problem was… I couldn't stop. "You'll always be alone, because no one is ever going to want to spend more than _maybe_ two minutes with you!" My voice had risen to a shout by the end, and even though I wasn't facing him, I could feel the tension, awkwardness, and hurt in the aura surrounding Krieger. It was a cold, icy silence.

Then I suddenly felt myself being lifted into the air and onto the black horse slightly behind Krieger's grey stallion. He stiffly turned towards the front again, having tossed the reins to my horse back to me. Without a word, he quickened his horse's pace, riding ahead so that Rolith rode between us. I nervously looked down at the black stallion under me, but he seemed content to just follow the bay Rolith was riding. Hell, _I_ wasn't going to try and convince him otherwise.

But after a minute or two of just silence, instead of the strange pride I expected to feel at having finally managed to drive Krieger off, all I felt was… guilt.

_He's not going to bother you anymore!_ the side of me that wanted to feel triumphant crowed jubilantly. _You're not going to run into him anymore on quests, and he'll have no excuse to talk to you!_

_But should I really have done that?_ I wondered silently, frowning as I pondered the reins I held loosely in my hands. I wasn't even trying to guide the black horse I rode—I was comfortable with him following the other two home. For the first time, though, almost the entire part of my consciousness was doubtful over insulting the paladin. _Should I really have hurt him like that?_

_He wasn't going to get the clue otherwise!_ the gloating part of my mind pointed out. _After all, he was tracking you down and frustrating you on purpose every chance he got!_

_But was he really doing me any damage?_ I argued weakly. _No, if anything, he was… drawing me out._

_And that's why you needed to do this,_ the voice snapped impatiently. _You need to keep your walls and barriers, don't you? If you wanted to avoid being hurt or scorned sometime in your life, you had to make him back off _for good._ And he wasn't going to!_

_But… I could have talked to him… I didn't have to rip into him like that,_ I sighed quietly, giving up the fight… for now.

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><p>Rolith urged his horse up a few steps until he rode almost right next to Artix, who was the very picture of discouragement. His shoulders were slumped and he didn't have a normal grip on his horse's reins. His head hung, several strands of copper-colored hair shading his eyes from the dappled sunlight shining through the forest canopy above them along the path.<p>

"Hey," Rolith said quietly, reaching up to put a comforting hand on the paladin's shoulder, "Don't worry about it. She didn't mean it."

"Yes she did."

Artix's voice was as dejected as they come, and Rolith internally sighed. Why couldn't these two just get along?

"Look," he began, keeping his voice down so that they could talk without being overheard (by a certain mule-headed Mage behind them), "Remember when we were talking, and I told you about when we met? I told you that after she recovered, she went looking for me, put me on my back, and ripped me a new one? And then she thanked me?"

_She found me and tackled my legs, and did her best to knock me down. Once she had me on my back, she cursed me for all she was worth… then thanked me._

"Yeah."

"Well, this is just her nature. She will—"

"So her _nature_ is to hurt everyone close to her?" he demanded quietly, his brown eyes flashing.

"No!" protested Rolith. "She'll judge you, then test you. And if she feels bad about it, she'll apologize!"

"I don't think she's going to apologize about _this,_" muttered Artix under his breath.

"She will. Trust me. Hell, just look at her face right now! She regrets it, anyone could tell!" Rolith hissed at last, gesturing back at the young woman on the black horse. She obviously wasn't even trying to direct her mount, and was content to let him follow they two. A confused frown twisted her face, and her dark blue eyes weren't focused on anything at the moment aside from her horse's muscular neck. Rolith saw his friend's face change slightly, from angry and hurt to mixed up and troubled. Then his expression solidified into something more certain that was slightly more icy.

"If she's as stubborn as I think she is," he said in a quiet voice that revealed nothing of his emotions, "She won't apologize."

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><p><strong>. . . <strong>

**Don't kill me, please. **

**So, yeah. Magiya's truly vicious side has made an appearance; the ruthless half almost all women have, myself included. **

**As always, if you liked, subscribe or review! :3**

**Also, I wanted to know if anybody noticed any inconsistencies in Magiya's, Artix's, or Rolith's personalities. If you did, please leave something in a review so that I can try to fix it or something.**

**Oh, and the reason I named this chapter "Crafty in the Middle"... It doesn't just apply to horses. Women, too. ^^  
><strong>

**Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!**


	10. Don't Give Excuses

**I know, I know. It's too short. -.- I wanted to give you guys a really quick update, because life for me is going to be complete and utter hell for the next two to three weeks. Just a heads up, because you know I love y'all. ^^"**

**Oh! I accidentally forgot in the last chapter to quote where I got a particular line from, so I'm doing it here. Some of you might have seen **_**Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows.**_** THAT is where I quoted from. ^^ I'm sorry I forgot to cite it. If you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend you do. It's EXCELLENT.**

**In any case, quick review responses. And have I ever mentioned how amazingly grateful I am to look in my email inbox and see "New Review" in there? I love reading all your comments, especially since most are good. ^^**

**Thunder of Life:** _Yeah, no more microscope. For now.  
>"Strained relationship" I believe would be an understatement. Magiya has never really had any people skills… she just didn't mess with the people who didn't like her personality. -.-" And I'll agree with you, she can be a real piece of work when she wants to be.<br>And you're right, in reality I love horses, you can't tear me away from them. I thought that having a character hate them for once would be a nice change. -w- Thanks so much for reviewing again!_

**Kirei Ryuusei: **_Yeah, the movie was fantastic, wasn't it? X3 I think the pony part might have been my favorite bit. Only, Magiya wasn't riding a Shetland Pony; she was riding a 16.3 hh horse… of some type. I'm not sure of the breed, but I'm not sure it's really relevant for the story. O.o Glad you enjoyed!_

**ImInvisibleForNow:** _Yeah, Artix is a character, isn't he? X3 I'm glad you like the pairing, I do too. ^^  
>Hi there, nice to meet you. :)<br>I tried to steer away from the cliché crap in this story, and I agree, it makes it so much more of a pleasure to read!  
>And of course, querida! Why wouldn't I continue it, I love it too! How did you know the things I dreamdrool over? O.O *nabs chainsaws and throws chapter in the air* CATCH!_

* * *

><p>Two weeks passed.<p>

It was still late summer, of course; that didn't change. But while the days stayed warm and comfortable, the nights began to grow unusually cold. Leaves hadn't yet started to fall from the trees around my small house, even though many of them had begun to turn glorious shades of gold, amber, scarlet, and burgundy. In short, the season was beginning to finally shift towards autumn.

However, despite all the chaos from the Moonridge battle being over and done with, my studies weren't going much better. Until my mind had cleared and was settled enough for me to focus on the task at hand, Warlic had tasked me with creating the right combination of resources and ingredients from books to create a sort of spell or potion that would allow one to alter the temperature of the air surrounding them in a small radius. This was proving exceedingly difficult for me, seeing as I was unable to concentrate on what I was doing in favor of just reflecting on what the past couple weeks had brought.

"Magiya!"

I was roughly jerked out of my reverie by the sound of my mentor's sharp tone, and my head shot up from where it had been resting on my arms on top of the book of spells. My sudden awakening caused my hand to accidentally bump a vial of sinister-looking, bubbling, toxic-green liquid, resulting in it falling from the table. However, just as it was about to hit the stone floor of Warlic's tower, I caught it at the last second. That was when I saw the hem of the dark blue robe and the feet.

Grimacing, I lifted my face to see Warlic's frustrated amethyst gaze, and internally groaned as I replaced the small green bottle, preparing myself for the newest lecture. _One that you deserve,_ my subconscious muttered snidely.

"I don't know what else could possibly be occupying your head right now," he began sternly, "But this has to stop."

"I know," I murmured, cradling my head in my hands. "I'm sorry, I'm trying, I really am—"

"I don't need excuses," he cut off quietly, before pausing and moving his hand around me to close the book resting on the table in front of me. "If you are unable to apply yourself properly, these lessons will have to come to an end until you _can_." Warlic was well-known for being unusually blunt, but this was only the third time it had ever been directed at me. At least it stung enough to clear my head a little bit.

Without another word, knowing anything I said now would only make it worse, I rose from the simple wooden chair, bowed my head to him as was customary, then left the tent… tower? I'm not sure. I know the tent was a portal to the tower Warlic shared with Cysero, but I wasn't sure what to call it. Oh well.

Upon emerging into the blinding sunlight, I felt strangely warm fur winding around my lower legs, and sighed forlornly, dropping my left hand onto my Pridemaster's head.

"C'mon, Kai," I murmured, taking the first step that would lead me to the portal at the edge of Warlic's field. "Let's go home." My pet and friend turned his emerald-colored, expressive cat eyes on me, and I sensed he was after an explanation. But then, he was just an animal. For all I knew, maybe he was just reacting to the sound of my voice. "I can't… concentrate. I can't focus. And I don't know why!" The last word was lost in the portal as I stepped through. Though, that wasn't exactly true, I realized unwillingly. I knew why I couldn't put my mind to my studies… I just didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to think his _name_.

Once I was on the other side of the portal and in Falconreach, I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.

"What am I going to do, Kai?" I pleaded, almost as though expecting an answer. All I got in reply from my pet was a green-eyed stare. "I know, I know" I muttered under my breath. "I need to… keep busy. Yeah. Distract myself." As I spoke, I began a quick, determined stride down the main road of Falconreach, heading for home. As with every other time I walked this lane, there were inevitably people who recognized me, and called out in greeting. As with before, I paid them no mind.

_That won't work, though,_ the part of my mentality I was constantly wanting to murder said in a singsong tone. _You already tried that with Warlic and your training; and you saw how well _that _went._

I growled inadvertently to myself, just walking faster. Kai, of course, had no trouble with keeping up. Physically, he was much stronger than I was. Then again, that shouldn't come as much of a surprise; almost everything was stronger than I was without my magic. My fury continued to rise, only going higher and higher, and I finally broke into a flat-out sprint, running as fast as I could. My feet hit the ground in a rhythmic _one-two_ pattern, and my irritation at that led back to the first time I had inadvertently encountered Krieger, who was the one who had put me in this position. The _one-two_ pattern of his feet on the floor of the Hydra cave…

_No. I can't think about this._ _I can't think about him._

I must have made the journey from the portal to my small cottage in record time, with my anger spurring me on. It wasn't anger at Warlic at all. Nor was it completely at my impossibly short attention span (although that may have been part of it). No, it was _him_. Why did _he_ have to be the thing my incessantly moving mind supplied to ponder when I was bored!

I burst through the door of my house, and the very end of Kai's tail had just barely made it through the doorway when I slammed it as hard as I could behind him, almost seeing red. A non-silent rumble of a growl made me stop, though. My eyes slid sideways and down to meet the nearly lit-up gaze of my Pridemaster, and when I saw his emerald eyes, all of my anger drained out of me like a plug had been pulled. If I didn't know better, I would swear my close friend and pet was telling me to _calm the fuck down._

With a frustrated groan, I flattened my back against the now-closed door, looking up at the ceiling as I sank to the floor. I allowed my staff to clatter to the wooden planks that made the floor of my house at my side as I cradled my head in my hands and curled my legs up in front of my face.

"What am I supposed to do, Kai?" I whispered hopelessly, looking at him out of the corner of one dark blue eye. "I can't get him out of my head, and I hate him."

_No you don't,_ my subconscious murmured gently. _You do care for him. Now show it and apologize._

"But I can't find him!" I wailed, my eyes watering as Kai simply sat at my feet, just watching me.

_Talk to others, Magiya. Find him. Someone is bound to know where he is._

"Would he even want to see me, though?" I sniffled, hating the tears starting to slowly leak down my cheeks. I was sure that by now, my face was red and blotchy, and that just had me burying my face in my arms in humiliation. "I insulted him last time I saw him! He—he hates me!"

_He'll forgive you, it's how he operates,_ my consciousness consoled softly. _He can't hold much of a grudge against anybody, much less you. He likes you._

"Not anymore," I said shakily, scrubbing the heel of my left hand across my eyes to get rid of any trace of tears. It mostly worked, but fresh ones continued to flow. "After… that… he hates me now. I went to try and find him so I could bring him to Elysia, like she asked, but he saw me and he left! He doesn't even want to look at me."

Mentally, I saw my better self throw its hands up in the air in frustration. _I'll be back later when you're being a little more sensible._ Don't _do anything stupid!_

"No guarantees," I muttered dispiritedly, rubbing at my eyes again. I pulled my flat shoes off and tucked my toes under my pet's warm fur as I sat against the door, and rested my arms on my knees. Occasionally, I would sniff, just aftereffects of the crying. I ran a hand through my dark hair. "Damn that man," I murmured without any real anger; if anything, I sounded… hopeless. "Why did he have to pick _me_ to harass?"

As usual, Kai didn't answer.

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><p><strong>I DID WARN YOU. This was short, and just to show you how torn up Magiya is... and how she's not smart enough to figure that out.<strong>

**But I wanted to give y'all something to sink your teeth into before I have to go offline for a couple weeks… School's getting a little crazy. -.-" Again.**

**Anyway.**

**Hope you all have a good week, and I wish you all well until the next chapter. Thanks for hanging in there.**

**Juliet**


	11. Over My Dead Body

**Kay…**

**I'd ask for forgiveness for the unexpected break, but I'm not really sorry at all. ;D As a favorite character of mine once said in a fanfiction, "I'd say sorry... if I knew what it meant." Now, I know what it means, but I'm not sorry, cause I got the chance to sleep in. ^^ **

**Anyway, responses before we pick up where we left off at the end of the extremely short previous chapter…**

**Wait, only one? You readers wound me.**

**ImInvisibleForNow:** _Yeah, that sort of thing has happened to me many times. ^^" I fixed it in the end. Question is, will Magiya?  
>Thanks. School's close to over, and we're reading the Count of Monte Cristo. Heh, the teacher's mad at me for almost spoiling it because I've read it before. XD<br>And here's your chapter. ^^ Thanks for reviewing again._

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><p>"Damn that man," I murmured without any real anger; if anything, I sounded… hopeless. "Why did he have to pick <em>me<em> to harass?"

As usual, Kai didn't answer. With a quiet groan, I just leaned forward, burying my face in his warm fur as I began to cry quietly, this time unable to stop the flow of tears streaking down my face. With a sinking feeling in my gut, I realized that there was no way I was going to be able to face him—face _anyone_—until I got things mentally sorted out. Sniffling again, I just pushed my face deeper into Kai's unnaturally warm golden fur, closing my eyes.

_How the hell did I get myself into this?_ I wondered. _If I hadn't been such an ass…_ _I wouldn't be crying over that son of a bitch now. What am I going to do? … No, I already know that. Continuing to ask in the hopes of getting a different answer isn't going to work. _Grimly, I just hugged my pet closer. Kai didn't complain. In comparison to my earlier mood, I realized, he wouldn't be complaining anyway. _Still… I wish there was something else I could do instead of _apologizing, _of all things…_

I must have fallen asleep there, back against the door, still on my knees while I hugged my Pridemaster to my chest, because then I was dreaming. It was the worst kind of dream somebody could have, though, because it was the type where you don't realize you're asleep until you wake up. But the dream itself was more of a nightmare.

I was running.

No, _sprinting._ No. Still not fast enough.

I was tearing down a tunnel as fast as I could force my legs to go. My robe was only hindering my movements, doing so more than it ever had before. My feet made frantic little _whap-whap_ sounds on the uneven stone floor in a _one-two_ pattern that was chillingly familiar to me, only spurring my fear.I had no staff, adding on to that terrible horror. My heart hammered a tune that, if I had bothered to listen to it, would have been a death note throbbing in my chest. As it was, I continued to dash down the tunnel. It continued straight ahead forever, never turning.

I felt… frantic. Terrified. Like there was something at the end of this tunnel that was precious to me, and I had to reach it before… before… before it was gone, this time for good.

_What does that mean?_

I didn't pause to wonder what my thoughts knew; I only ran on and on. My pulse was fluttering like a caged bird begging to be free, but unable to do much more than beat its wings. All I did was force it faster. I bolted down the uneven passage, barely able to stop myself from tripping over the dips or rises in the choppily cut stone floor or my own feet. Every twenty feet or so, a pair of torches lit up the passage, only making the lighting uncertain and flickering. If I could have been more on edge, I would have been. And I still didn't know what lay at the end of this tunnel running almost endlessly through the mountain.

_How do I know this?_

A bolt of pure, primal fear struck through that thought as soon as it registered, obliterating it. I kept my feet moving, stumbling now and then, feverishly racing down the tunnel to save whatever it was that lay at the end.

_Must… keep… going…_

The _one-two_ continued to ring a chord in my mind, just a small niggle that I couldn't let go. How familiar the pattern was…

_That's it._

The Hydra Cave. Krieger's footsteps as he got between Horidon and the idiot, stunned damsel. How I had clung to that sound, being all I had to hold on to until I was brought back to normal.

And just like that, the tunnel flared up on all sides, vanishing in a blaze of white that was dazzling. I squeezed my eyes shut as tightly as I could, my hands automatically going up to cover my face.

Suddenly, there was… nothing. I didn't _exist._ I had no body, I had no eyes. There was only my mind, and an endless _white_. Then a dull pain was radiating through my entire being (however big or small it might have been at that moment) until it felt like I was being torn apart limb from limb by dragons, while acid had replaced the blood in my body and whatever skin was left was being burned to a crisp. It was the worst pain I could have ever experienced, but the most horrible part of it was… it was all mental. I would have screamed until my throat was raw and bleeding, only I had no mouth to use or air with which to hear myself scream.

When I awoke at last with a severe migraine and coated in a sheen of sweat, it was dawn. And with how miserable I felt, it could have been the dawn of my execution, for all anyone knew. At least… that's how I was feeling at the moment.

"What do you think, Kai?" I mumbled incoherently. "Think taking out a few monsters or bandits will help any?"

_I don't even know why I keep talking to him. He's never going to answer._

With a quiet groan, I rose to change into a dull purple robe edged in white before setting out for Oaklore Keep. "Ready to go, Kai?" I asked to thin air, finishing the simple long braid I had twisted my dark hair into. My pet standing at my right hip was answer enough.

However, upon stepping outside, I hesitated. In the small stone enclosure to the left of my cottage, there was the huge black equine that had come back with me from Moonridge. I had no idea what to do with him, I realized for the umpteenth time as he raised his head, gazing at me with liquid brown eyes. It wasn't a matter of, '_He followed me home, can we keep him?_'

"What am I going to do with you?" I asked briefly, tilting my head. The big black stallion just went back to grazing. My eyes flicked to the tack I'd removed from him (taking nearly an hour to do so) after returning from Moonridge, and sighed as I rubbed my eyes. "Can't do anything right now," I muttered. "I'll walk to the Keep."

Nearly an hour later, I was stepping hesitantly through the huge wooden gates of the fortress, my Pridemaster at my side. The sheer remarkableness of the Keep had always held me spellbound. After a moment, I hurried up to Rolith, narrowly avoiding getting run over by Sir Casm and Sir Vivor, who were carrying crates of things that smelled funny and I'd have preferred to avoid thinking about. The whole Keep was abuzz with energy today, it seemed. After a quick glance around the inside of the fortress, I rubbed my forehead.

"Either everybody here has had enough coffee this morning to send a water buffalo into cardiac arrest, or the bandits are at it again," I said dryly to the Captain, and he nodded, frowning as usual.

"The bandits are trying to storm the keep again," he confirmed, nodding once. "Feel like helping out?"

"Do I have to? I didn't get much sleep last night…" A long yawn punctuated my statement, proving my point. Rolith scowled. On him, it was more endearing than threatening once someone had discovered his true personality.

"You do owe me one," he reminded me. I grumbled unwillingly; he was correct. "Actaully, you owe me several—"

"Alright," I interrupted. "Fine. But first…"

"You need to wake up?"

"You know me too well."

"Fine," chuckled Rolith. A slight smile still tugging at his lips, he suddenly allowed his hammer to rest against the wall of the Keep, wrapping his right arm around my neck.

"Hey!" I squealed as Rolith promptly proceeded to rub his armored knuckles on the top of my head. I frantically shoved at his arm as hard as I could and at every which way, but to no avail. My friend mercilessly twisted his knuckles across my scalp repeatedly. "Cut it _out!_" I wailed, thrashing around in his grip, probably just giving myself bruises from his armor. I could hear Rolith laughing now, and continued to struggle in vain against his arm. "Rolith, let me _go!_" I whined before he finally took pity on me and released me. I scrambled back a few steps, glaring at him balefully. "Ass!" I spat at him, scowling. He just shrugged, still smiling.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"I don't."

"Ooh. If I were you, I'd have—"

"But you're _not_ me, Rolith," I said testily. I was in no mood to banter with him this morning.

"But if I was," he continued unabashed, "I would—" He stopped as a knight (it might have been Sir Valence) called to him urgently from the top of the wall.

"Captain! The bandit hordes are charging the castle!"

Rolith's playful demeanor vanished at once, and the typical moody frown returned. "Defend the Keep!" he shouted, hefting his big ass hammer as he did so. "Magiya, are you with us?"

"Yup," I said grimly, holding out my staff horizontally at arm's length. A ripple of gold shivered down its length, and when it disappeared I was holding a twisted light blue staff with prongs of the same color holding a small, glowing blue orb at the top. It was one of several that I knew how to summon. "Rolith, I hope you know how much I'm going to enjoy this," I said with a malicious grin as we charged for the gates. I could already hear the battle cries of the bandits over the walls. Several knights followed us, apparently content to let us lead the charge.

"Knowing you? Yes, you really _will_ enjoy this," he said in dark humor, pulling up to a stop at the gates. He waved to one of the knights on top of the wall, and the gates slowly grated open, revealing the seemingly endless groups of Darkwolf bandits running towards us at full tilt.

"Let's go!" I shouted, surging forward with the Captain at the head of the large group of knights. Were the bandits strong? Yeah, sure, some of them were.

We were stronger.

When the two sides met, I was whirling and spinning, casting spells left and right. Most of the time, I called upon the small ones that didn't require too much concentration; focus was one thing I did not have in the middle of a battle. However, when the opportunity was provided, I stopped and allowed my mind to delve into the little marble of magic hiding in my consciousness. Doing so gave me more power to use against the next wave of bandits, and I often did so, flattening more than three of them at any time in one big surge.

The entire time, I felt a sort of vicious snarl permanently etched on my face as I flung magic at enemy after enemy after helpless enemy. From time to time, I could see Rolith in my peripheral vision putting his own dent in the bandits' numbers, causing as much (if not more) havoc among them than I was. There was no time for a break in the hours-long fight. It was action, reaction. There was no time to think. It was the same situation as with the war in Moonridge; just fighting. It was like some kind of primal instinct took over every time I fought in a battle like this… almost all strategy fell apart, and logic and reasoning became nonexistent.

At some point during the fight against the bandits, my back met Rolith's, and after wordlessly confirming with a glance that we weren't the enemy, the two of us continued to devastate the bandits' force. Rolith swung his hammer at any foe within reach, causing heart-clenching damage everywhere he struck, while I cast spell after spell at any bandit that moved, frequently hitting my target. Since we had first fought together a couple years ago, this was the fighting form we both always seemed to gravitate towards—back-to-back. But it didn't bother me, and judging from his reluctance to fight in another fashion, Rolith didn't either. I hurled handfuls of ice, fire, lightning, and small whirlwinds at the hooded figures who were often carrying maces or hammers of some type, tapping into that stream of magic now and then for a small extra boost.

"Retreat!"

I blinked, getting jerked back to a sane state of mind as I heard the raspy cry. If it had been a knight, it would have been more methodical—it would have sounded more like an order than a frantic call for help. However, as the cry rang out, I saw bandits all around Rolith and me hesitate in their movements, taking a half a step back before that half step turned into two, and the two turned into a full-out run in the other direction. Warily, I began to straighten from my slightly bent position—the one I always assumed when I fought—and gazed suspiciously at the bandits now racing in the opposite direction. Rolith stood up straight too, and his eyes glinted as he raised an eyebrow. I knew how he felt. Adrenaline still pulsed through my veins, and judging from the slightly excited, partially twitchy expression on my friend's, he felt exactly the same way. The rush that a battle brought was damn near indescribable… but incredibly addicting.

"Cowards!" I snarled lowly, my grip on my staff tightening almost to the point where I feared it might break. Then as my line of sight met the many bandits still lying on the now-bloodied grass of the space between the walls of the Keep and the forest, my anger and heightened awareness seemed to fade away. My shoulders slumped faintly, and I looked back at the Captain for a moment. His eyes met mine, and his gaze softened.

He glanced around the battlefield sadly. The Darkwolf bandits had been nothing less than fearful bullies; they ran when the full retreat was called, leaving all of their injured or dead comrades behind. Even now, several of them cried out from their wounds or staying ominously still where they lay. I shook my head slowly, not just in scorn for the bandits who had run after their leader, but also in pity for the ones remaining. Without a word, I carefully knelt down by the nearest bandit, who was calling out in the most heart-wrenching way for water. It seemed to me that something heavy (perhaps a mace) had crushed the lower part of both his legs. The bone wasn't shattered, I saw upon further inspection, but he wouldn't walk for several months.

Internally sighing, I called up a little bit of the small amount of power I had left to direct a small stream of water into the man's mouth before calling Sir Junn over.

"Start taking care of the ones left," I ordered in a quiet tone. The redhead's eyes went wide for a moment before he just nodded, and proceeded to do his job. I turned away. The bloodlust that had nearly consumed me during the fight was gone, leaving me feeling… hollow. Hollow and empty. It was unsettling, because I had never felt this way before.

_The aftermath of a battle is always humbling,_ I thought tentatively, leaning down in one smooth movement to feel for a pulse on one of the other Darkwolf bandits. Nothing. _It shows you just how easily life can be torn right out of your hands… The terms 'pried from my cold, dead hands' or 'over my dead body' have a new meaning once someone sees this. _Moving on over the trampled grass, I carefully stepped over and around slick patches soaked with a red liquid that made my stomach churn. Another bandit lay at my feet now, and he had a head wound that was bleeding profusely. _Seeing all of this damage… it's a sobering sight, to be sure._ I gingerly tied a makeshift bandage around the unconscious man's head before letting an assistant of Sir Junn's take over, and continued. _It makes you realize how incredibly lucky you are… just having life._ Rolith joined me after another few minutes, appearing suitably chastened.

"You don't realize how lucky you are to be alive until you see… this," he said in a quiet voice, echoing my own thoughts as he gestured at the battlefield. I nodded once, in no mood to speak. "It makes you realize how much you might be missing in life," he continued in a murmur as he propped another bandit up so I could tie up his shattered knee. He probably wouldn't walk again without the help of magic to heal that injury. "Friendship, joy, humor… love."

I looked up sharply at Rolith as he named the last, my eyes glinting. We moved on as Sir Junn finished up what we had been doing with that bandit, and I crossed my arms as we stood in the middle of the grassy area between the Keep and the forest.

"Just what are you insinuating?" I demanded quietly, my somber mood evaporated in a matter of seconds.

"Nothing," my friend protested. But his face was too… innocent. Rolith had always been able to maintain a flawless poker face, but there were times when it was _too_ perfect. This was one of those times. I scowled at him, tucking my chin slightly as I glared at him from under my eyebrows. If the sudden twitch in his expression was anything to judge by, I had quite the effective 'death glare' or 'don't fuck with me' look going. Rolith shrugged one shoulder, his hammer hanging loosely in his other hand.

"I'm saying," he relented, "That you need to open up to more people!"

_Great. This argument again,_ I thought irritably.

"Look, metalhead," I growled softly, not happy with the readdressing of the subject that must have been discussed more than two dozen times in the last year, "We have been over this a thousand times. I will not trust more people than I feel comfortable with."

"You seemed pretty comfortable around Artix," he challenged. I opened my mouth to object (hey, it's a knee-jerk reaction) before pausing. Despite my tendency to charge into verbal fights head-on, it was beyond even my impulse-driven arguing side to _not_ admit that he was right. I snapped my mouth shut abruptly, shooting a truly venomous glare his way.

"You need to make up with him," Rolith pressed.

"Bullshit!" I retorted in a clipped tone. The Captain ran his free hand through his dark gold hair in frustration. I swear I could almost hear the gears in his head going haywire. A random thought occurred to me… those gears could be all Lim's fault.

"Apologize to him!" he finally exclaimed, his eyebrows dipping lower than usual. "He's good for you, Magiya, whether or not you choose to believe it."

"That's a lie," I refuted instantly. "I hate him! He's an ass!"

"Look," Rolith said flatly, "If you don't shape up your trusting issues, and fast, you'll never find peace or contentment. And if you can't trust anyone, if you don't let anyone in, then nobody will be able to care about you or love you."

That last statement struck home.

I blinked, and all thought processes stopped for a solid half a minute as I stared blankly at Rolith. I couldn't ever remember him being quite so _ardent _on this topic before, and the bluntness with which this line of reasoning was delivered… well, quite frankly, it was chilling, in a way.

I opened and closed my mouth a couple times before I glared at Rolith, turning on a heel and storming away. I headed back into the forest, back in the direction of the path that led to Falconreach. If I had wanted, I'm sure I could have summoned a small rain cloud to hover over my head to perfectly demonstrate my mood. However, I hadn't stalked more than twenty feet across the trampled grass when Rolith called a parting question out to me from behind.

"Think on this, Magiya; if you died tomorrow, would you be satisfied with how you left things here? Would you be happy with the extraordinarily small amount of people who would mourn you?"

After a short pause, I broke into a run, sprinting as fast as my feet could carry me away from Oaklore Keep. I kept my face pointed downwards, hardly watching where I was going, trying my very hardest not to let the tears fall.

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><p><strong>Ooh. Rolith really ripped a hole in her. When was the last time anyone put a toe across the line like that with her? O.o Evidently, it's been too long. She needed that to be brought down to earth again.<strong>

**But, yeah. Your chapter, hope you enjoyed. If you did, please subscribe and/or review. Reviews are always appreciated, and very much valued. ^^**


	12. Because They Were Boring

**I know, I know. It's not long enough. But it's here, and that's what counts.**

**Kirei Ryuusei:** _He usually only saves that for the knights and/or squires. I'm not sure how often he's ever used it on Magiya. But then, you figure, how else was he supposed to get through to her? Honestly?  
>She's more stubborn than a mule… Guess we'll just have to see, won't we? :)<em>

**ImInvisibleForNow:** _Hmm, don't really know, do we? If she's that obstinate, kinda makes you wonder. And you're right, guilt is a heavy burden. But so is love. ;)  
>Always trying to get another chapter out, ME.<em>

**But I warn you faithful and wonderful readers now, it may be an even longer wait from now until the next chapter. The teachers are all rushing work and trying to squeeze it in since school officially ends in 4 weeks and I've got end of year exams coming up in three. -.-**

**Anyway. For what little there is, enjoy. Nythera makes an appearance in this chapter, too; remember Magiya mentioned they were friends in the first chapter? She trusts her.**

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><p>I sighed again, staring blankly out the window.<p>

It had been six days since Rolith had hurled those parting words at me, but time didn't make them burn any less; they still festered at the back of my mind.

Hence, my migraine.

From where I sat on my bed, looking out, I could see a good portion of the surrounding forest, the small paddock that held the big black stallion whom I hadn't come close to riding since we returned from Moonridge, and even a patch of sky. But, contrary to how I half-hoped it would be, the sky that was visible to me was dark grey and solemn, and threatened a heavy layer of snow.

Kai rubbed his head under my forearm again in yet another futile attempt to get me to show some sort of affection, but I didn't move. His slightly frustrated rumble didn't go unnoticed, however, and my pet grumpily turned and prowled towards the small swinging door set in the back of my house, disappearing out through it.

_He's probably going out to hunt, _I thought dully, not moving from my post by the window. So much had happened in the few months since I had met Krieger, and yet… I was more confused and upset now than I could ever remember being in my life. _Why is this happening to me?_

_WHY? _roared my subconscious. _This is all YOUR damn fault! He just tried to play nice, tried to be your friend, and did nothing more than help you and occasionally flirt with you! Harmless! He did nothing wrong to you, and you took what he offered and destroyed it! You tore his heart out of his chest when he gave it up for you, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it until it didn't exist anymore!_

A single tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it.

_I didn't mean to,_ I internally wailed, feeling like burying my head in my hands. _I just… I just…_

_You were 'just' going to spite him and hurt him,_ said my mind acidly. _You didn't think he would leave and start avoiding you._

A knock at the door from the next room made me start, and my face jerked to face my bedroom door for a moment before I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed and slunk to the front door.

I don't know who I expected to see when I pulled open the door. Probably, the person I most expected to see was Rolith. Maybe Warlic. Possibly even _him._ But one of the people I _didn't_ expect to see was Nythera.

She stood there with her arms crossed, and her small dragon wings fluttering irritably. Not bothering with formalities (she rarely did) she just bluntly asked, "Can I come in?"

Wordlessly, I stood to the side and she stepped across the threshold before turning and looking me up and down. "You look like shit."

Nythera didn't give me bullshit, she gave me the bare truth. This was one of the things I liked about her, and it was one of the reasons she was a friend of mine. Why she liked _me_ was another matter altogether.

I didn't say anything to her derogatory observation, mainly because it was completely true. I closed the door before turning to her and just gazing at her blankly. I felt… empty. Rolith's words had struck me to the core like a razor-sharp blade, and frankly, I was shattered. Without an invitation (as usual) she sat in one of the two chairs at the sturdy table, dragging me down into the second that was infrequently used.

"Now, are you going to explain everything to me, or am I going to have to force it out of you?" Nythera asked bluntly, crossing her arms when I sat across from her.

"There's nothing to explain," I responded just as directly.

"Oh, don't even _try_ to feed me that shit," she snapped, her eyes glinting. "Something happened when you, Rolith, and Artix came back from Moonridge, because last time you came to see Warlic, I saw him send you off, and you looked like someone had just kicked you in the face. Obviously," she continued like a battering ram, "Whatever happened there screwed something up, because Artix has been at it more than usual lately and both Warlic and Rolith have been really boring. Tell me!" Nythera finally demanded, her short wings unfolding at these last two words.

"There's nothing to tell!" I replied, some of my typical annoyance emerging. Nythera and I were what I liked to call 'antagonistic friends'—we enjoyed tormenting each other and never went too far. "Krieger wouldn't stop bugging the hell out of me! That's it!"

"That's clearly _not_ it. You and he are not the only ones who have been boring, I told you!"

"Just because they're not entertaining doesn't mean that they're not normal, Nythera!" I said hotly. She brought out the sadistic side in me, it seemed.

"I've been around Warlic long enough to know when something's up!" she challenged, wrinkling her nose. "Honestly, how stupid do you think I am?"

"Evidently pretty stupid since you can't see there's nothing wrong!" I whipped back. There wasn't much new here, this was how most of our conversations went—minus the Krieger, Rolith, and Warlic elements. Just basically insults flying back and forth.

"If there's nothing wrong, then why the fuck won't you explain to me why you refuse to talk about it, why you've been hiding like a bitch in your house for almost a week, and why you've been avoiding both Warlic and Artix for even longer!"

"That's none of your damn business!" I shouted furiously, not galvanized into standing to drive my point home. Yet.

"You made it my business!" Nythera yelled in return, a snarl forming on her lips. It was, to the saner and much smaller part of my mind, quite alarming to witness how quickly the situation had turned what would be classified as 'extremely dangerous' to a normal human.

"_Fine!_" I thundered, standing up so quickly my chair toppled over backwards onto the wooden floor. "You want to know what happened? Krieger was being a fucking womanizer like he was born to be, and I gave him a piece of my damn mind! He over-fucking-reacted and is acting like a stupid ass, and is being all silent, moody, and emo! Rolith was all like 'Why'd you do that?' and told me that I was gonna fucking die _alone_ and that nobody would care! So you tell me, Nythera, _what in the fuck happened there?_" By the end, I was screaming almost to the point where my voice was ready to break, and I could barely see my long-time friend at all because my sight was so blurry.

_Why can't I see right?_

Scrubbing the back of my hand across my eyes in an attempt to clear my vision, the skin on my hand came back wet.

_No, I'm NOT crying!_

For one of perhaps two times I had ever seen her in this way, Nythera was silent. It wasn't a good silence, but nor was it necessarily bad. If I didn't know any better (and I really didn't), I'd say it was a stunned silence. Nythera just stared at me in shock, then she stood too and walked around the main room, running a slim hand through her dark bangs.

"_Lore_, Magiya, and I thought _I_ screwed up when I tried to destroy Warlic… You've _really_ fucked up."

"Thanks _so_ much."

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><p><strong>*ahem* Note the sarcasm in the last line.<strong>

**In any case, you've been warned; there may be a short hiatus period, but not if I can help it. I swear on my level 40 character that I'll do my best to keep going with this.**

**As always, I hope you've enjoyed, and if you did, please review and/or subscribe! Reviewers and subscribers are much appreciated, and readers are always welcomed!**

**Please note that all trolls will immediately and consequently be forcibly escorted to the top of Mt Mordor by my small army of rubber-eating plot bunnies.**

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	13. What People Skills?

**Hey, I didn't think I'd get a chapter out at all this week! Who else feels like dancing? Heh. **

**Seriously, though…**

**So, quick recap before covering comments…**

_In the last chapter, it was revealed how much Magiya is really torn up by everything that's happened. Nythera came to visit Magiya and said a few sharp words to her, causing them to scream at each other for a few minutes.  
>No, really, that's all that happened last chapter.<em>

**Responses…**

**Kindro15:** _Wow, thank you so much! I wish you luck with whatever story you choose to stick to. ^^ I will certainly try to drop a few clues about my writing tips as we go, but I don't know how helpful they might be to you. O.o I'll do my best, though. ^^_

**And, on to the rest of the scene that was supposed to happen last chapter. Please enjoy.**

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><p>"<em>Fine!" I thundered, standing up so quickly my chair toppled over backwards onto the wooden floor. "You want to know what happened? Krieger was being a fucking womanizer like he was born to be, and I gave him a piece of my damn mind! He over-fucking-reacted and is acting like a stupid ass, and is being all silent, moody, and emo! Rolith was all like 'Why'd you do that?' and told me that I was gonna fucking die alone and that nobody would care! So you tell me, Nythera, what in the fuck happened there?" By the end, I was screaming almost to the point where my voice was ready to break, and I could barely see my long-time friend at all because my sight was so blurry. <em>

_For one of perhaps two times I had ever seen her in this way, Nythera was silent. It wasn't a good silence, but nor was it necessarily bad. If I didn't know any better (and I really didn't), I'd say it was a stunned silence. Nythera just stared at me in shock, then she stood too and walked around the main room, running a slim hand through her dark bangs. _

"_Lore, Magiya, and I thought I screwed up when I tried to destroy Warlic… You've really fucked up."_

"_Thanks so much."_

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><p>With all of the anger and energy suddenly just draining from my body, I closed my eyes briefly, sinking unexpectedly wearily into the chair I had only just vacated. My head fell back, and I ran my fingers through my hair. Nythera was still taken aback at my outburst, and after another moment of just standing there, she slowly sat too, taking a moment before speaking or saying anything to me.<p>

"Well, you know what has to happen now," she said quietly, crossing her arms in a feeble imitation of how she had been when she walked in.

"No. I don't."

"Never let it be said that you have people skills."

"I never did," I murmured as I leaned forward again to hang my head in my hands. "I know I screwed up, bad. But I don't know what to do to fix it! I've never… never had to deal with _this_ before," I said uncomfortably. The word 'this' was accompanied by an uncertain hand gesture that indicated the whole situation that was going on. I stayed leaned forward in my chair, my elbows resting on my knees, and my hands clasped together tightly. It was difficult in the extreme to admit to anyone or anything that I didn't know what to do, but more than that, it was humiliating.

I felt my long-time friend gently run her hand over my shoulderblade from where she sat slightly across and to the right of my chair. I could tell she was unsure about what to do, because typically, the powerful young half-dragoness just shrugged off other people crying. But she trusted me in the same way I did her, and tried to comfort me, at least. I was grateful. It didn't really help, but all the same, it was a thoughtful act, and I appreciated it.

"Magiya, why didn't you just ask someone?" Nythera asked softly, but still bluntly as she removed her hand. I've said before that this was what I liked about her.

"There was nobody I could trust to know the whole story," I replied quietly, and just as concisely.

"You could have asked me."

"…"

I stayed silent. She was right; I could have asked her at any point in time, and because she could be extremely closemouthed when she chose to be, she would have kept my issue between just us. I was just a little bit ashamed that asking someone had never even been considered by my subconscious.

But silence is only temporary, a bandage on a raw spot. It never lasts.

"Do you know what you have to do?" Nythera prodded gently, but still in a slightly businesslike manner. Mutely, still clinging to that small bandage that would have to be torn off eventually, I shook my head slowly. My vision was getting blurry again, and in a sudden burst of frustration I scrubbed the heel of my hand across my eyes once more, a little harder than last time. But after a few moments, the tears returned.

Nythera grabbed my shoulders loosely and pulled me upwards so I was sitting with my back straight in the chair, and looked me in the eye. I was sure I must have looked hellish, with my eyes red and watery and my hair tangled and messy hanging around my face, but to her credit, Nythera didn't even blink.

"You've got to apologize to Artix," she told me softly, her voice firm and quiet. This was the calmest I could ever remember seeing Nythera, and a guilty pang in my chest told me she was right.

_Not only apologize to him, but admit your mistake, and offer to do whatever you can to fix it,_ murmured the voice in the back of my mind. That thing was really starting to become a nuisance.

"I don't want to."

My voice was small, and if I were watching this scene from outside my body, I would probably have been unable to reconcile this voice with my normal tone. It sounded almost like a whine, and I'm ashamed to say now that it came from my mouth.

"You have to," pressed Nythera.

"No I don't," I said obstinately. It was just like in the battle at Moonridge; I knew I was going to give in at some point, but it wasn't going to be without a fight. Though… with how mentally exhausted and dejected I was, it wouldn't be long.

"If you want _anything_ in life to return to normal," said Nythera sharply, scowling slightly (as usual), "You are going to go straight to Amityvale, find Artix, and apologize to him, dammit!"

"I don't even know where Amityvale is!"

_What a feeble excuse._

"The griffin by the guardian tower knows," barked my friend. "You just tell him where you want to go!"

"I'm not going to ride that thing, the turbulence is awful!"

"Magiya!" Nythera exclaimed, her eyes flashing as her small dragon wings flapped in severe agitation. "Get your wimpy ass out to Falconreach, get on that griffin, go to Amityvale, and just apologize to Artix already! The longer you put it off, the less likely you will be to do it, and the longer this will drag on with you being a little bitch hiding in your house!" Once again, Nythera's bluntness caught me by surprise, and it stung more than it should have. I gritted my teeth as I winced, looking at the floor again. Nythera wordlessly glared at me from where she sat across from me, refusing to back down. In this respect, I knew she could match me step for step; she was just as stubborn as I was about some things. I remained quiet for several long moments before slowly raising my face to look her in the eye, and I nodded once.

A faint apologetic smile brushed across her lips, and it was then that we both knew we had an unspoken agreement.

That didn't mean I had to like it, of course.

But… I knew what I had to do now.

_Go to Amityvale,_ murmured the voice in my mind. _Find Krieger, and apologize to him. You remember when you had to ask for his help in the Ice Valley? Do you remember what that felt like? That humility? Try to do that again when you apologize. Release your pride for a moment._

I wasn't ready to, I protested mutely as Nythera and I stood at the same time. I wasn't ready to apologize to him. Not yet.

_If you wait until you think you're ready, you'll wait your whole life,_ it reminded me gently. I conceded that it was right, if unwillingly.

I remained standing there as Nythera quietly stepped out, closing the door behind her. Her purpose here was done, and she wanted to return to Warlic's field in order to pester him to let her learn void magic some more. After all, that was her usual pastime. I returned to my bedroom, gingerly picking through my closet for a clean robe that I liked. A slim-fitting silver one caught my eye, and I pulled it out, planning to change into it after a much-needed bath. I wasn't going to show up before Krieger looking like I had been through hell and back, after all.

Behind my small cottage, the woods were thicker there than almost any place else in Lore. However, through these close-packed trees there ran a wide, deep, clear stream that was ideal for either drinking or washing. I intended to use it for the latter. I retrieved a bar of soap and a towel from my washroom before heading out to the aforementioned stream. I felt strangely… content. I wasn't fazed by the prospect of apologizing to the man who annoyed the hell out of me, and may or may not be my worst enemy. The big black horse in the paddock to the side of my house lifted his head in mild interest, gazing at me with intelligent brown eyes that seemed to say '_I knew it._' I stuck my tongue out at him before reaching the creek.

After glancing around warily for any stalkers that might be hanging around, I quickly slipped out of my current outfit, hurriedly sinking beneath the chilling water until only my head was above the surface before the shock from the cold could set in. I gritted my teeth as the first shiver racked my body, and reluctantly reached out of the stream to grab the soap which still lay on the shore. I bathed quickly and efficiently, having no desire to stay in the icy stream any longer than absolutely necessary. When I had finished cleaning my body, I scrubbed my hair mercilessly, then leaned back in the water so that my darkened brown hair flowed out behind me, following the path of the current.

Once I had finished, I made a mad dash for the shore, nabbing my towel and wrapping it around my torso so it would stay for a minute while I wrung the water out of my hair. After that I quickly returned to my house, fully drying off and changing into the silver robe I had chosen.

_Why do I care so much about how I look in front of him?_ I wondered idly as I delicately brushed imaginary lint off the robe. _I shouldn't._

When I was finally satisfied with my not-out-of-the-ordinary appearance, I picked up my staff from where it usually leaned against the wall beside the front door, and cautiously stepped outside. The air was just as chilling as it had been before, and I looked over at the black stallion who hadn't noticeably moved. He snorted in greeting before going back to munching on the grass. He seemed far more personable than I was, that's for sure.

Shaking my head slightly, I started on the mile-long trek to Falconreach through the forest, almost absently ducking and avoiding the low branches, bushes, and thorn vines that lined the small deer trail leading back to the huge town. I was feeling… pretty confident, actually. It was such a foreign feeling as of late that it made my skin prickle. I used to feel like this so often before several months ago, when all this started… I inadvertently increased my pace.

I didn't allow my robe to catch on anything. I could have walked this path blindfolded, knowing exactly where each and every briar bush or loose twig was; being able to see it only made it doubly easy. I let my hips swish to the left at the right moment to avoid sweeping against the stump that was less than twenty feet from the edge of the forest. Upon emerging, the light of an early winter snow nearly blinded me for a moment, but I didn't stop, only continuing along the road leading into Falconreach. Ash waved briefly to me from where he stood by Lim's weapon smith shop, talking to Twilly, and I gave a little sort of half-wave in return, ducking my head slightly. I climbed the steep trail that led up to the Guardian Tower, passed several Guardians sparring with each other, and reached the small bluff where a large griffin rested. The intelligent beast turned its magnificent head to gaze at me with big, dark, intelligent eyes that were not dissimilar to those of the black horse back home. It had always seemed to me that animals or people with those types of eyes could stare right through your soul if they felt so inclined.

Tentatively, I approached, stretching out a hand to gingerly stroke his soft feathers on his face above his beak. He pushed his nose into my hand, making me smile. This Griffin had never given me any reason to fear him or use more caution than needed around him, but I maintained that it was unwise to become careless among those who could, if pushed, be dangerous.

"Hey, Sweet," I murmured, running my hands adoringly over his feathers as he rested his huge head in my arms. The Guardians had trained him well. I was sure he must have had a name, but I had never heard it. Therefore, I nicknamed him whatever non-embarrassing nickname popped into my head at the moment. "Feel like taking me somewhere?" In answer, the griffin turned his head towards the map of Lore spread out on the big sign next to him, and then looked back at me. I paused, and then said with more conviction than I think I really felt, "Amityvale, please." The massive bird-lion creature looked at me for a moment more, his piercing black eyes feeling like they were burning holes in my head.

_I know what you're doing,_ they seemed to say. They offered no approval or denial of anything more.

With that, the griffin rose to his feet—paws?—and unfolded only one wing, the one furthest from me. The invitation was clear: _Getting on? _With a slight smirk, I scrambled in a rather undignified way up onto the red-gold saddle strapped to his back, and then held my wooden staff lengthwise between my palms before suddenly pressing my hands together, causing the staff to vanish temporarily. This done, I securely fastened my arms around the griffin's neck as he suddenly launched himself off the small platform at the edge of the bluff, and then we were sailing through the air at speeds arrows couldn't match.

And somehow… the wind carried my worries and fears away with it.

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><p><strong>And so, here you all go. Magiya is on her way.<br>**

**I'd like to take a second to thank everyone who has reviewed, read, or subscribed. I am really, truly pleased to see how well this fanfiction is doing despite the fandom of Dragonfable not being the most popular. ^^**

**If anyone's curious, my motivation for writing tends to stem from… *wait for it*…**

**Juice. **

**Yes, juice. Pineapple-Orange-Banana juice, to be exact. ^^" I think it's really great. **

**But no, seriously, most of where I get my ideas from? Movies. I'll watch a movie I think might be good from the previews, and if an idea hits during the movie, I'll pause it, write the idea down, and continue. When the movie is over, I scroll through the ideas, fine-trim a few of them or delete them altogether, and even get a few more strikes during this process. Then I select the one that most appeals to me, and build off of it. If I don't like that, I start over.**

**Maybe there's a more productive way of doing this… if there is, I don't care. I like my way. X3 **

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and my senseless babbling, and have a good week or three. ^^"**

**Thanks for reading. ^^**

**Juliet**


	14. She's Not Right Handed

**Here's another short chapter…**

**I know they're getting shorter, and I really am sorry. But life decided to throw a new set of challenges at me last month, hindering my writing process. -.- But, I'm back (temporarily), and here is your much-needed (albeit short) update.**

**Kindro15:** _I'm glad to help. ^^ I hope your writing goes well. One thing to remember, in fights, KEEP IT REALISTIC. Y'know, unless seeing fighting chairs are a normal thing there. ^^  
>Good luck with that book. When you finish, let me know, I'd love to read it! :3<br>Yes, I am a girl, and I'm very willing to talk over PM or email, if you want to . ^^ I'd love to talk._

**Kirei Ryuusei:** _Have I thanked you yet for being a repeat reviewer? :3  
>Yeah, Nythera can be really… um… Well. You know. ^^"<em>

**Anyways, quick thanks to the reviewers, now let's get going. ^^**

* * *

><p>The clack of one set of claws on a cobblestone street announced our arrival at Amityvale. I warily looked up and around as I slid off of the griffin, taking little notice when the massive creature spread its wings again, launching its muscled mass off the ground again with a slight scrape of claws and a rustle of feathers.<p>

_I don't like this place,_ I internally grumbled, taking a slightly tighter grip on the oak wood of my staff. _It's almost midafternoon. It should not be nighttime here, there aren't enough miles between here and Falconreach. _I jumped and whirled as a raven loudly sounded a call of some sort behind me, and I discovered the large black bird to be resting on the branch of a dead tree right by the gates I was headed towards. As I approached them, a slight sense of foreboding swept over me, making me shiver and rub my upper arms convulsively.

The gates were wrought of black iron, and very ornate; I believe even one of the smiths in Falconreach might have had difficulty in duplicating them. I guardedly padded quietly along the cobblestones into the town, glancing around all the while. Looking ahead, I saw what must have been the town hall in a sort of Gothic theme, a small red fountain to the left of that, and a couple of shops were also in sight. However, the only person in sight was a young girl who appeared to be about the age of ten or eleven standing by the weapons shop with a chin-length black hairstyle and a rather frilly dress that I would have considered overdramatic, had it not worked on her. She looked rather mysterious, in a way, but not necessarily in a bad way. But for the moment, she was the only person I saw, so I was left with no choice but to ask her where Krieger might be.

_Nythera said he was in Amityvale… now where is that pig?_

"Excuse me," I said, strangely feeling the need to keep my voice down.

"Hi!" she chirped in a tone that seemed at odds with her Gothic apparel, "Welcome to Amityvale!"

_Well, I'm in the right place._

"Thank you, do you know where I can find Artix Von Krieger?" I continued, inadvertently allowing my eyes to flick to both sides of where I was standing. I felt really on edge in this place—I didn't trust it in the least.

"Of course," she said with a small, mystifying smile. "If you'll follow the road to the right, where it then becomes a path, you should come across him in or around a cemetery shortly after you pass a stretch of woods! But be careful; the woods are haunted. Have a nice day!" she said cheerfully, as though having haunted woods was part of a completely normal day here.

It probably was.

_Either way,_ I thought uneasily, _I don't like this place. I'd better just find Krieger and get the hell out of here…_

Taking a slight breath, I walked cautiously along the cobblestones towards the path that wound through the thick mess of trees ahead. _Maybe I should have brought Kai._ When I reached the dirt path, the lantern light from the town behind me faded, only to be replaced by moonlight whose brightness rivaled that of the sun back home. I bit my lip nervously, finally taking a deep breath to strengthen my resolve before striding quickly along the path leading into the woods before I could change my mind.

_Ninety percent of all paralyzing fears in the world are purely mental,_ I told myself sternly, forcing parts of my body to relax a bit. This, of course, was easier said than done. But after a good four minutes of walking beneath the shady pine trees between moonlight and patches of shadow, I had neither seen nor heard anything. Not just things that could be classified as threats, but absolutely nothing. The forest was dead silent, for lack of a better term. It was eerily comforting, because I assumed that anything looking to attack me would make noise. How naïve of me, but it was the way I saw things.

I allowed a tiny half-smile to drift across my lips. _I knew it. There's nothing here at this time of day… night?_ However, suddenly, my steps paused. _It… looks like it's getting darker…_

Indeed, an unnatural blackness was stealing over this stretch of the woods where I walked, starting at the very edges of my vision and spreading. My lip curled as I looked from left to right in quick succession, ready to bolt. There was always some sort of fear in the world that, to the human race, brought forth the most primal instincts. And even as I began to walk faster, so did the blackness move with me. It was spreading with alarming speed along the sides of the path, and up above me.

It was around this time that I broke into a flat-out sprint.

I tore down that winding path through the haunted woods, not able to see anything more than about eight feet around me. I had no idea where I was going, and I didn't care. This terrifying blackness scared the hell out of me, erasing all other thoughts from my mind until all that was left was sheer terror that could stop a man's heart. Instead, my own inner drum was thundering as I ran, sounding my pulse in my ears almost impossibly loud.

Then all of a sudden, I had to skid to a stop as I abruptly shot right past the edge of the trees. With the end of the trees came the end to the blackness, and moonlight shone brightly on the clear path ahead. I could see a sharp bend up ahead, lined by a colossal stone wall, making it impossible to see past it. I froze for a moment as I realized that my heart was still hammering, and chuckled a little breathlessly as I bent over a little, catching my breath.

_There is so much wrong with me. I knew there was nothing there._

A self-deprecating smirk rested on my lips as I straightened up and extended my left foot for the first stride. Problem was, I never made that step.

What felt like a mountain hit me from behind, knocking every particle of air out of my lungs, throwing my head back and flinging me clear off my feet. A strange numbness consumed me in that instant, and I could see nothing but white. My heart sinking, I remembered my nightmare.

_Suddenly, there was… nothing. I didn't exist. I had no body, I had no eyes. There was only my mind, and an endless white. Then a dull pain was radiating through my entire being (however big or small it might have been at that moment) until it felt like I was being torn apart limb from limb by dragons, while acid had replaced the blood in my body and whatever skin was left was being burned to a crisp. It was the worst pain I could have ever experienced, but the most horrible part of it was… it was all mental. I would have screamed until my throat was raw and bleeding, only I had no mouth to use or air with which to hear myself scream._

_Oh, Lore…_

_No…_

_It's all coming true._

_NO!_

* * *

><p>Artix ran a hand through his copper hair for the hundredth time.<p>

_What am I going to do?_ he thought irritably. _Purifying undead isn't helping. It hasn't been! I can't get her out of my head…_ In frustration, the Paladin just scrubbed the palm of his metal glove across his forehead before looking up at the moonlit sky miserably. It had been over a month now. Winter was very near, if it wasn't here already, and Rolith was wrong. _Idiot said he was going to talk to her. It didn't work._

As he leaned against the stone wall that lined the cemetery, Artix sighed—such a deep, broken sound that it could have tugged at anyone's heartstrings. A faint whooshing sound made him glance up at the path, wondering who from Amityvale would have been willing to come this far out, but what he saw made his breath catch in his throat. Walking slowly down the path, around the bend, was none other than the woman who had occupied his thoughts for the past several weeks.

"Magiya!" he exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face before he could stop it. He started towards her, but then as quickly as he had begun to move, he stopped. This was her, but… it wasn't. Artix stared at the figure before him. His talent for sensing the undead and basic evil only went so far, but right now, it was going haywire. "Magiya?"

The lady standing several yards from Artix didn't respond. His chocolate brown eyes searched her, seeking out any indication that she wasn't who she seemed to be. He didn't have to look for long.

Dressed in a slim-fitting silver robe, loose dark brown hair tumbled in waves over her shoulders, and several long strands covered her face. However, they were not enough to conceal the white glow emanating from the woman's eyes, spreading to form jagged white cracks splitting down her face around the place where her eyes should have been. Her face was completely emotionless, and it was this that made something within him shrink back from her.

_This isn't her._

He warily took one step back, his sword tip lifting a few inches. In response, Magiya—for it _was_ Magiya, on the outside at least—tucked her chin slightly, lifting her right hand in his direction in a sort of claw shape. Within her fingers, there appeared a black ball of energy with purple sparks dancing along its edges, and Artix allowed his body to sink back into a defensive posture with his sword.

_Magiya isn't right-handed._

"Who are you?" he demanded, gripping his sword with both hands. Magiya made no reply, those glowing white eyes staring at him in a haunting manner. They had no pupils, no reflection marks; they simply _were_. The cracks leading halfway down her cheeks glowed in much the same manner. "Tell me!"

This second exclamation also went unanswered. _What's happened to her?_

Then all thoughts were dispelled from his mind as she simply flicked her wrist, sending the little black ball of energy flying directly at him. As a knee-jerk reaction, Artix swiped at it with his sword, and it hit the blade, deflecting. It was sent careening off to Magiya's left and right past her, looking like it might bounce off the stone wall behind her. Contrary to his expectations, though, the small ball of dark energy that was no more than four inches in diameter seemed to sink into the wall.

And then the wall exploded.

There was simply no other way to put it. The place where the dark magic hit the wall blew outwards, sending small chunks of stone soaring past his head. The resulting dust caused Artix to collapse in a fit of coughing. When the crap clouding the air cleared, though, he saw that Magiya wasn't even nearly affected. She had a small head wound that was almost irrelevant, slowly dripping blood, and was half-layered in stone dust from the explosion. She hadn't moved.

_What the fuck is going on here?_

* * *

><p><strong>*slow whistle* I know this was all planned for me, and it's not a surprise for me, but… Yikes.<strong>

**Now, readers, remember, this is what comes of me writing at exactly… wow. Exactly 12:34 am. O.o**

**No, seriously.**

**Make a wish!**

**Now, I warn you for the umpteenth time, it may be a while before I update.**

**I thank all of you who have stuck with the story this far, and I want you to know I'm very grateful. (Wow, had to try four times to get 'grateful' spelled right. I really AM tired.)**

**Writing Tip: I find that emotive music tends to give my poor little author ego a nice kick right up the arse.**

**Hope you enjoyed, please stay tuned. Commercials are sponsored by Karma, Spanish Class, and Lack of Sleep.**

**Have a nice week (or two).**


	15. Ruined Armor

**I just wanted to get a chapter out really quick. The last one had a fantastic turnout of views and alerts/favorites, and I'm thrilled with it all. ^^**

**And I warn you all, there is still a long way to go. Those of you who are reading this, I really hope you started it with the intention of being in this for the long haul. This thing is less than three quarters of the way through, still; actually, closer to three fifths of the way done. We've still got a ways to go. :3**

**And in case it's not clear to anyone, NO, Magiya is no longer in control of her own body.**

**Quick reviews…**

**Kirei Ryuusei:** _Hah, I'm glad you liked it so much! And yeah, beating her MAY be impossible, for all we know! :3 Here's your fight scene!_

**Quick recap of where the last chapter ended:**

* * *

><p><em>The place where the dark magic hit the wall blew outwards, sending small chunks of stone soaring past his head. The resulting dust caused Artix to collapse in a fit of coughing. When the crap clouding the air cleared, though, he saw that Magiya wasn't even nearly affected. She had a small head wound that was almost irrelevant, slowly dripping blood, and was half-layered in stone dust from the explosion. She hadn't moved.<em>

_What the fuck is going on here?_

Artix then had to leap aside as she sent another deadly little fist-sized orb of darkness shooting straight at him, and he had no desire to make something else blow up. Somehow, he knew, this wasn't her. Rather, it _was_ her, it was her body, her form, but she wasn't the one calling the shots here. Still, he had no idea that Magiya had access to that kind of power; if he did, he wouldn't have goaded her as he had quite so often.

"Magiya!" he barked sharply, trying to get the attention of the real her, and not whatever this _thing_ was. There was no change as she flung another spell at him, narrowly missing his head and crashing into the ground behind him. A small crater was left behind, and Artix prowled around in a semicircle while she summoned up another black-purple orb. He had to find out what the hell this was, if it wasn't her—and it wasn't. But in a way, it was. When she whipped around, sending another ball of dark energy at his face. He only just ducked in time, dropping to the dirt before it could touch him. Artix almost thought that he could feel the slight wind it made as it passed over his head, and he gritted his teeth.

"This isn't you!" he yelled as he had to roll to his side to dodge another attack. "Dammit, listen to me!"

Her spell-filled white eyes didn't change, nor did her face show any expression. However, the cracks seemed to spread ever so slightly further down her cheeks. The only difference was that she was abruptly trying harder to kill him, sending spell after spell in his direction as her long brown hair swirled around her face with the movement. Artix continued to either deflect or dodge each of the dark, blackish-purple orbs of energy. He had seen what they could do to him, and was in no hurry to be struck by one.

_I can't hurt her,_ he thought in frustration, going down a mental list of options. _I don't know who or what is calling the shots, so I can't take down the head of this thing. I don't have magic to fight back with. The real her isn't responding to anything._

His attention was suddenly snatched away as one of the fist-sized balls of energy grazed his right shoulder guard, causing a deep rent in the carefully crafted metal to appear before the rest of the energy nearly obliterated the entrance to the cemetery. He barely managed to roll out of the way before the rusted iron archway came crashing down, one of the small spikes landing point-down in the ground where he had been not a moment before.

"Magiya!" he roared, his brown eyes gleaming. "Stop this!" His tone was not dissimilar to the one that she had used the last time he saw her, riding back from Moonridge; cold and stony. The only difference was that his was edged with desperation, and it was much, much louder. This time, however, she paused. Just slightly, just the faintest hesitation. But it was there.

Artix was seized with a sudden surge of hope that was almost immediately dashed when a bone-chilling, terrifying laugh echoed down the short section of the path that was within sight (alongside the mostly demolished stone wall), and a hooded figure appeared, floating several inches above the ground. Whoever they were, they were accompanied by a giant, floating pink jewel that gave off an eerie, ethereal glow. The hood on the cloak of the figure was deep, providing them with sufficient cover to keep their features hidden. And as soon as the floating person appeared behind Magiya, still emitting that sinister, haunting laugh. It was feminine, and sounded strangely… familiar. Artix raised the end of his sword to about chest height, the edge of his upper lip raising slightly.

"Who are you?" he spat, pure fury emanating from his figure. Loose strands of copper brown hair interrupted his vision here and there, but even so, he didn't even blink. Judging by Magiya's failure to turn to attack this new figure, and the new woman's obvious nonchalance around her, this was the person who had screwed up the young Mage. That didn't exactly endear them to him.

"Artix," purred the hooded figure, the tone making his skin simply crawl under his armor. He held back a shiver, instead grinding his teeth.

"Who the _hell_ are you?" he repeated, louder this time. It was closer to a shout, and it was impossible that the lady behind Magiya couldn't have heard it unless she was stone deaf.

"You know me, Paladin," she said in a sickly sweet voice. _Lore, I don't even know who this woman is, and I already hate her! … That's a new record._

"No, I don't," he retorted, his hands tightening around the grip of his sword. "Why are you doing this to her?"

"Why do you care?" hummed the figure. It was clear to him that the woman (who was still floating) was unconcerned by his obvious anger and frustration. However, her question didn't faze him. He answered immediately, not skipping a beat.

"Because I love her!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Because I love her!"<em>

The words rang straight through the white, clear as a bell.

They caught my attention as nothing else could have right now, in the nondescript place I was now in.

It was hellish in its simplicity.

If I'd still had a body here, I would have looked up at the exclamation, blushing like crazy, and then probably run. But the fact of the matter was, I _didn't_ have a body right now. I had no arms or legs, no eyes, no ears, mouth, or lungs. I _wasn't_.

But all there was right now was my mind, the words that matched the voice that had broken through my shields, and the pain. The horrible, paralyzing pain.

_He loves me?_

My consciousness gave a great leap then, the joy halting the agony for a brief moment.

_He loves me._

_Why am I happy about this?_

Then there came another bolt of torture as this thought made itself known, and I automatically shrunk back.

_It hurts…_

I retreated deep within myself now, seeking a refuge from the all-too-frequent bolts of pain. And it was there that I lost myself again, all independent thoughts and realizations fading.

The white grew brighter.

* * *

><p>"Because I love her!"<p>

At this outburst, the lady in the black cloak hissed; but it didn't sound human. It sounded like the kind of noise that was made by snakes the moment before they struck, and it made goosebumps race down his arms underneath the chain mail that was beneath his armor—at least one piece of which was damaged beyond repair, Artix thought with distaste.

"Then you can stay with her in the Underworld," spat the figure, making a flicking gesture with her right hand so that her palm was facing him. Magiya echoed it, and yet another compressed sphere of black energy with purple crackling around it flickered into existence an inch from the surface of her skin. The light emanating from her eyes increased, nearly blinding him for a moment.

_What's going on in there?_

Then the magic was flying at him again before his eyes could adjust to the darkness again, this time hitting him directly on the breastplate of his armor, right above his sternum. Then Artix was flying too, in the same direction the energy had been traveling. He crashed into what remained of the wall around the cemetery before the receptors in his brain could register the white-hot pain of the spell hitting his body, and then stars exploded before his eyes before everything became dark.

_No…_

* * *

><p>…<strong>Okay, don't hurt me for this. It's all part of the plot. *ducks incoming bricks, pies, and cleats*<strong>

**School lets out soon, and then I'll be off and out and just busy in general... But I just wanted to get a quick thing out.**

**The flowers are blooming beautifully here.**


	16. No no no

**I know, I know, I probably deserve to die for the end of the last chapter.**

**But things are going a little bit faster in real life, thankfully…**

**Anyways, things should really pick up here shortly. Readers, PLEASE do not hate me. If there's one thing I can't really ever stand, it's killing off characters I'm attached to. Think on that.**

**Reviews?**

**Thunder of Life:** _Don't worry about not reviewing for a while. ^^ You're back, and you're okay (or so I assume from seeing you here) so everything's fine. :)  
>Hah, I'm glad you love it. :D The more people who love this, the better!<br>That is not a bad habit! And if you'd like to write a DF fanfiction, I'd be happy to help if you want me to. ^^ I've already got another planned out for when this one is done, though by no means am I going to tackle two long fanfictions at once. O.o  
>Time is one thing that is always needed. -.- XD<em>

**ImInivisibleForNow: **_Yup, we always knew he would. ^^  
>Hmm, yup, I think that would "seal the deal", as you put it. X3 (I don't know, will she?)<br>Hah, I'm glad you love it! :D_

**So, let's get to the chapter. In the last one… well, I'll let you read the tail end of the last chapter.**

* * *

><p><em>Then the magic was flying at him again before his eyes could adjust to the darkness again, this time hitting him directly on the breastplate of his armor, right above his sternum. Then Artix was flying too, in the same direction the energy had been traveling. He crashed into what remained of the wall around the cemetery before the receptors in his brain could register the white-hot pain of the spell hitting his body, and then stars exploded before his eyes before everything became dark.<em>

_No…_

* * *

><p>My eyes rolled back slightly as I fell to the ground. My temple thudded against the ground, but I didn't notice. It was a little too difficult to notice anything at the moment. My heartbeat sounded in my ears like a steady, loud drum, and my vision blurred around the edges.<p>

_The pain… it's…_

_Gone?_

A soft groan of exhaustion and soreness escaped my lips as I struggled to sit up, and I fell back twice. However, I finally managed, and was confronted with a scene that not even my nightmares could match.

Vayle, the Necromantress slut, standing above me with an expression comparable to having just stepped in something nasty. A deep black hood covered her head, but at this angle, I could see her. Her pale blue eyes glittered with triumph, and she smirked evilly, walking away.

_What was she doing here?_ I wondered, watching the giant pink jewel trailing after her. _What… what's happened?_ I looked down at my hands numbly. There seemed to be some sort of burn marks on them. _I'm covered in stone dust…_Something tickled the side of my neck, and I swiped at it, only to have my fingers come back red. _Blood…?_ I blinked dazedly, and looked around in a slightly deadened way, feeling like I was stumbling through a dream. A very, very bad dream. But as I've said before, no dream could have even had the chance to equal the scene that spread before my gradually clearing vision.

_Krieger._

He lies across from me, entirely motionless. His face is turned partially away, so I can only see the side. The lightest brush of wind stirs the strands of copper hanging over his now-glassy eyes, usually so warm, so cheerful, gleaming with the light of fun. His thin lips are parted slightly, but no breath escapes. Everything is completely still. I manage to push myself up with my arms, mindless of my fallen and now-lost staff, and his name slips off my tongue like honey, however much I may have tried to stop it. Just like the other countless times I had said his name, coming from my mouth it sounds like everything, and yet just another name. But it wasn't. It never was.

"Artix…"

And the first of the rain begins to fall. It strikes his face, and then slowly drips off. He makes no move to wipe it away; he doesn't shift at all. He simply remains where he has fallen, as still as the stone that surrounds us both on the ground, surrounded by rubble. And the rain suddenly begins to pour down, coming down in sheets and torrents. I am frozen, both mentally and physically. The horror and sheer shock of what has befallen us keeps me still as the cold slowly seeps in with the night, and shivers begin to rack my body as the night wears on. Still the rain pours down. Still I cannot move.

It was never supposed to end this way. Never. Not in a thousand years. Not in anyone's lifetime. Nobody should have had to go through this, least of all him, for he was one of the people who deserved it the least.

Never would I have chosen for things to end this way between us. Never would I have chosen for him to be struck down by my own hand. Never would I have chosen for him to fall quite so easily, unwilling to attack or even touch the one who was attempting to take his life. He should never have gone in this fashion; dark red cloak in tatters; gleaming silver-and-gold armor tarnished and scratched, even dented and punctured in some places; copper-colored hair's healthy shine gone; lightly tanned skin that was visible covered in injuries and burns.

And it had been _my_ hand, _my _magic that had done this.

_How did this happen?_ I wonder silently, as crystal-clear water that is not rain cascades down my cheeks silently. _How did we get to this point?_

Suddenly, my head snaps back, and I'm staring up at the sky, up at the rain that refuses to relent, beating down on us. The dark, steel-grey clouds mindlessly pass over us, continuing to dump their torrents of rain.

My mouth parts slightly, as though to whisper his name again, but I cannot. The wound is still too raw. Instead, a broken, agonized, purely tortured scream of something that felt like grief but might have been torment ripped its way out of my mouth, and I physically felt my throat tear with the sheer volume and force of the cry. The copper taste of blood made its presence known in my mouth. Were I not right there at that moment, I would never have believed that I could have ever have created such a sound. It seemed to go on forever, and wave upon wave of grief and sorrow racked my body as I trembled with unsuppressed misery.

My nails dug into the dirt of the path as I continued to cry, simply staring at his frozen form.

"No. No, no, no, no, no."

I couldn't stop.

_This should not have happened. Not like this._

"No, no, no!"

_I should have just apologized when I had the chance…_

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no…"

_Why did she do this?_

I looked down at the burns on my hands again, and then back up at his armor. In the center, there was a place where the breastplate looked like it had been destroyed by a small, controlled explosion. My hands had the same affliction.

_No… was… was this ME?_

At this, my mind snapped.

Footsteps—many sets of them—sounded in the rain, but I did not move.

"What's going on?"

"Who's that?"

"What… the cemetery!"

"Where's the paladin?"

_Citizens of Amityvale,_ my mind noted emotionlessly. It was nothing more than a fact. _They must have heard the explosions._

"Are you alright? Mage?"

I didn't even hear them. I didn't want to face those hundreds of questions they would have fired at me, and I was not in a state to answer them. Mentally, I was nowhere. I was nothing. I felt like an empty shell of what used to be.

_It was me._

My eyes fixed on an armored form that four people carried past. _I did this._

"Mage?"

I became aware of a young woman shaking my shoulder gently, her voice soft and soothing. It made little to no impact on me. She had short blue hair, tied back with a bright scarlet ribbon that seemed very out of place here. She wore a pale yellow hat with moglin ears on it. She seemed far too cheerful to be in Amityvale to me.

"We need you to come back with us," she murmured, lightly smoothing my hair down. She couldn't have been much older than I was, but… she acted like a mother would. Just nodding blankly, I tried to get up. But no sooner was I on my feet than I started to tip forward again. She caught me, and called out calmly for someone to help me. I felt someone slip an am under my shoulders—I didn't respond, I was too shocked to do much of anything—and it was in this fashion that we returned to Amityvale through the rain.

And all the while, tears continued to slide down my cheeks silently.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow.<strong>

**Even I'm impressed at how much emotion I managed to slip into this chapter (minus the prologue scene, of course).**

**So, by the looks of things, Artix is gone (Aw, Juliet can't bring herself to say "dead"- *smack*), Magiya's mentally broken, the cemetery is destroyed, Vayle is on the loose with no opposition, and nobody's really going to take care of all the undead monsters.**

**What a mess this is for our characters, hmm?**

**Now, I'm going to advise anyone who suddenly got hit with the 18-wheeler Inspiration Truck; DO NOT rush into anything! Plan every single little thing out! I mean EVERYTHING. In the last chapter, Artix knowing that it wasn't really Magiya because she wasn't right-handed? GET THE FREAKING DETAILS. Make sure character development is completely and thoroughly finished, and everything makes sense! If your character is terrified of his or her reflection, say, then make sure you have a reason why! Did a hand reach out and grab them from the mirror when they were little? Did they ever see a haunted mirror, and have feared their reflection ever since? Find a reason.**

**For instance, Magiya? She is really caustic towards Artix and doesn't get close to anybody because she's seen people hurt by love and caring time and time again, and she really doesn't want that to happen to her.**

**A person with really nice hair, that might show they're vain about their appearance. Or someone who always carries this old watch, it could have belonged to their great-grandmother, whom they were very close to. ALWAYS FIND A REASON for why one of you characters acts a certain way or has some sort of detail about them. Know them inside and out!**


	17. Survivor's Remorse

**Hang tight, dear readers, the story's not over yet! When it comes to stories I like, I don't start them without finishing them. Promise. And this fanfiction, I don't just like, I freaking LOVE it.**

**So, I'm not going to offer more excuses about life going through a rough patch, even though they're all true. I just figure you all are all tired of hearing them all, so I'm not going to bother. I will say that I got a new ear piercing yesterday, and it feels… bizarre. O.o It's my third one, and I will just NEVER get used to it.**

**Um, anyway! Reviews! We got some really touching ones this time, and I'm always grateful for reviews!**

**Kirei Ryuusei:** _Yup, full circle. Near the end? Maybe, yeah. But this story is right in the middle of hitting the climax in the events, so…  
>"sleeping with characters". Oh my god, that one kept me in stitches for a full minute. It's so TRUE. XD And research on everything else about them, that is entirely correct. ^^ I never thought about it in that way before. XD<br>There's a reason it takes me more than a month to get the gist of my characters. X3_

**ImInvisibleForNow:** _*pats back* There, there. She'll have to find a way. She's an inventive young lady, if I do say so myself.  
>Heh, thanks, I'm glad you liked it so much! :3 Personally, my favorite part to reread is the part where she meets him. XD<br>Inspiration? 8D I'm honored!_

**Now, let's get to it. I'm sure you're all frothing at the mouth by now. X3**

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><p>I could hear them talking behind me, outside the door. I didn't care. From where I lay on my side, facing the wall the bed had been shoved up against, it seemed like nothing existed outside of this inn room. It was possible to identify what they were saying, and easy to mentally answer, but much harder to shut it out, no matter that they were whispering.<p>

"_She's barely hurt,_" murmured one of them. It was an older woman's voice. "_But how could she have been involved in this?_"

"_Her hands were burned,_" said the other voice in a gruff tone. This one was a young man, I'd estimate. He spoke as though he knew what he was saying and of the insinuations hidden in his words. "_The same kind of burns were all over the damn place… and on the paladin._" I squeezed my eyes shut as tightly as I could. But closing my eyes to the world didn't mute it.

"_Hold your tongue, Lugosi!_" snapped the woman sharply. "_This wasn't the girl's fault, and you know it._"

"_No, I don't,_" he retorted quietly. "_All we know is that she came into town about a half an hour before the explosions started. Then we all rushed over there. By the time we got there, the cemetery was destroyed, she's sitting there like she just saw a ghost, and the paladin was—_"

I covered my ears. I didn't want to hear any more.

I knew some of the townsfolk of Amityvale blamed me for what happened. They had a right to. Hell, they had _every_ right. Physically, I was the one who had demolished the cemetery where they buried their dead. I was also the one who had caused those explosions the young man spoke of.

_And _you're _the one who killed Krieger,_ the darker side of my mind put in snidely. I just growled to myself, turning my face into the pillow as my heart gave a painful thud.

_No…_

I curled up tighter, my hands still clapped over my ears, mouth open and teeth bared in a silent scream.

_This was not my fault!_

But it was.

_This was _not _my fault! _I repeated with little more conviction. _I was going to apologize! How was I supposed to know that bitch would possess me?_

A gentle knock on the door forced my eyes wide open. I sat up, carefully composing my face before I realized I had even done it.

"Yes?"

My voice scared even _me_ with how utterly unconcerned and insensitive it was.

I looked over at the door just as it opened, and for a moment, my confusion was clear. _Rolith? What's he doing here?_ Then it was obvious to me. _It's his best friend who died. Of course he would be here._ The person who followed him into the room didn't surprise me quite as much, however, though I wasn't expecting them. _Nythera._ _She came with him._

"Magiya," she murmured, pushing past the Captain in her brusque way to wrap her arms around me. I didn't usually know Nythera to be so touchy-feely, but I couldn't give much mind to it at the moment. I still felt… well, nothing. My mind was all but past caring. I made no other movement, morosely looking at Rolith over her shoulder. What I saw in his face… it almost stirred frustration in me. _Almost._ The way he was looking at me reminded me of the way many people looked at young children who had recently been orphaned, like I was something young and delicate, and something to be pitied. I had seen that kind of expression too many times in my life… but it had never been directed my way, and I discovered that now that it was, I liked it no more than I had when I first saw it pointed at a young boy who had just lost his father.

"Come on," Nythera said gently, her voice slightly rough as usual. "Let's get you home." I made no movement nor sound, lowering my gaze to the floor. Rolith said nothing either, standing slightly to the side as the young half-dragoness pulled me to my feet, half-supporting and half-carrying me out the door.

_My legs don't want to work,_ I registered numbly. But I didn't care anymore. It was out the door, down the hallway, and through the lobby in a blur that I barely remember… or maybe I did. I don't know. It could have just been my imagination. I do know that as soon as we reached the front door of the Amityvale inn, despite Nythera's support, I tripped and stumbled over the doorframe. Notwithstanding the fact that I'd had more 'rest' than one person could handle in the last 24 hours, I felt dizzy and fatigued, so much so that I scarcely noticed when Rolith caught me, saying nothing, just hoisting me up in his arms like I weighed ten pounds instead of one-twenty.

_Nothing's right anymore…_ I thought in agony as the dam behind my eyes finally broke, sending more tears than I was capable of stopping flowing down my cheeks silently. I wasn't entirely sure how Nythera and Rolith got us back to Falconreach, and from there to my house. I didn't recall any sensations of flying, though, so it couldn't have been by griffin. Several times, my consciousness registered that I should be wondering about that, but then it was quashed by the other side, and I remembered that it didn't matter.

Nothing did anymore.

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><p>I was somewhere… dark. But it wasn't a physical place at all. No, it was somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind where none but myself could reach me or speak to me. I all too often preferred things this way, but right then, I guess I didn't.<p>

_They're sad for you._

I know that, I whispered, not bothering to say differently. The voice was right, after all.

_But… they don't pity you, you know._

Yes they do, I responded tonelessly. I saw their faces. They're sorry Artix died. And they pity me.

_No, they don't. They're sad that you have to go through this, and they're sad to see that their friend has died. But they don't pity you, Magiya._

How do you know? I sniffled silently. You don't know them like I do.

_Don't I? I _am _you. I know them just as well as you do, or did you forget that?_

Just go away, I sighed miserably, mentally turning away from the voice.

_I can't. I'm inside your head, remember?_

I said nothing to this. There was nothing to say, I decided with reasoning that was slightly flawed.

_Look,_ began the voice again, _You're feeling guilt—_

Wrong, I interrupted quietly. I don't feel anything right now.

_Yes you do. Now don't interrupt me again._

I _am_ you. I can't interrupt myself, I snorted, quoting the voice—myself?—from only seconds before.

_Don't interfere!_ it snapped unexpectedly. _You care. But what you're feeling, it's not numbness. It's not pain, and it's not worry. It's not even fear. It's sadness and guilt. _

…Guilt?

_Yes, guilt. You have survivor's remorse. _

I've seen it before, I breathed, shocked. But… how could this be happening to _me?_

_Because you're the one that caused his death,_ the voice told me gently, confirming my worst fears. _You did, in a way, bring about this situation, no matter that you didn't mean to. But while he's now gone, you're still here. _

And? I asked bitterly, turning my face away. You're just telling me things I already knew. What difference does it make now?

_The difference is, that since you're still alive, you can find out what exactly happened and then fix what matters to you that still _can _be fixed. For instance, who was it that possessed you?_

I don't know.

_Bullshit. You know who it is._

No I don't, I repeated stubbornly, a shadow of my former self returning.

_Think!_ the voice exclaimed exasperatedly. _You _know_ who it was, Magiya. Face up to it, move on, get revenge, and get closure! _

How am I supposed to know who it was? I exclaimed, feeling lost and confused. But I guess, at the back of my mind, I _did_ know.

_Vayle…_

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><p><strong>TOLD YOU. I told you it wasn't done just yet. <strong>

**Now see, I could have just ended it here, with Artix dead and Magiya in full shut down mode… but I didn't. Aren't I just so nice? X3**

**Okay, so, chapterly advice! Uh… Hm. How about this?**

**Write realistically. If you believe it and can explain it in terms you will understand, so will your readers. For instance, in this, I wrote out how a real couple might fight (if they had the minds of five year olds). They insult each other, they're irrational, cold, and angry. Namecalling, ugly looks, ignoring, everything. If you're going to have someone fight, don't make it all "I want cake, but you don't, so I'm going to shoot you and have cake anyway". **

**Along the same lines, don't make it like this: "I want cake, you disagree. You slap me, I kick you in the nuts, and then we have a heavy, hot, sweaty, sexy makeout session where I end up getting my cake anyway despite what you want." **

**Just no.**

**When they fight, let them have at it! Quick flashback of Magiya and Artix: **

_"Do you like me?"_

_"What?"_

_"I said, do you like me?"_

_"No. I don't. Nobody could ever like you, Krieger, because you are such a pain in the ass. You annoy the hell out of everybody you encounter, not just the monsters! You'll always be alone, because no one is ever going to want to spend more than maybe two minutes with you!"_

**There we go. Perfect example. A hotheaded person would, not only jump to conclusions, but would get angry at the first hint of something they didn't like. On the same note, someone who doesn't want to be found out or has something to hide would be **_**overly defensive**_**… ;D  
><strong>

**Hope you all have a nice weekend. See you in the next chapter!**


	18. The Smell of Cinnamon

**6 days.**

**6 more days, and then school is out, and I can write more. Lately, I've had, I kid you not, 16 different essays to do for a single project. My teacher is mean…**

**But I just wanted to give you guys an update so you weren't left hanging without a word. Not a whole lot happens in this chapter, though. **

**Reviews…**

**Kirei Ryuusei:** _In this kind of a world, there isn't much other choice, am I right? And you're correct, guilt and shame are only two of the multitude of feelings poor Magiya has going through her head right now.  
>And don't worry, it's not going to be over SOON, per se, but… it's past halfway. Let's leave it at that.<em>

**Coca-Cola Days:** _Thank you so much! It's good to see a new reviewer. ^^ Of course, it's wonderful to see the old ones too, but I'm glad to know new people are finding my story. Eh, you get it… right?  
>Right?<br>I'd tell you not to worry about Artix, but… well, that would ruin the story, now, wouldn't it? ;) Here's your update. Also, thank you for worrying about me. ^w^ Things are just a little crazy here, but hey, nothing new._

**CommanderHawke667:** _Her parents? Uh… well. *ahem* I'm not going to say I didn't plan that far, because that would be a bad example, but… I didn't go into any kind of detail. All I know (they write the story, not me) is that her parents are now dead. They loved each other, it was a far off land, etc., etc., you get the point. ^^ There's really not much to say about her parents._

**Anyway… story time!**

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><p>I opened my eyes.<p>

There was no jerk going along with the slight movement, nor was there any delay to it. It was nothing more than the opening of my eyes as though after a blink. But, considering that I didn't remember coming home and sleeping on my own bed, I had closed my eyes for longer than a few seconds. I was currently staring straight up at the ribbed ceiling of my bedroom, feeling… numb.

A faint snuffling sound from my right, the room side, drew my gaze a moment later, and I was greeted with the sight of a spiky mass of golden-orange fur sticking up by the edge of my mattress. I would have smiled, but… the ability to do so seemed to be a myth, much less within my grasp. Slowly, as though I were pulling against a thousand strings holding my arm to the bed, I lifted my right forearm, letting my slim hand drop limply onto Kai's massive head. A heartbeat later, my pet's emerald-colored eyes rose above the level of the mattress, gleaming and—perhaps I just imagined it—slightly anxious. I said nothing to him, letting my eyes do the talking. He had always seemed to understand my train of thought, whether I voiced it or not.

_I know what I have to do now,_ I thought, blinking once, slowly. Kai rested his heavy head on the bedspread, only a foot from my face. He smelled like… cinnamon, almost, so I didn't mind when he huffed in my face. My lips didn't seem to remember how to smile anymore. _I know what I have to do._

_Do you?_ he seemed to ask me silently, doing nothing more than meeting my gaze. My Pridemaster had always had an intelligent light in his eyes, and it was even more pronounced up close. I lowered my eyes.

I heard the door open, and slowly looked up, not feeling very curious anymore. Yes, I was moping, yes, I was being overdramatic, but this was my way of coping with loss!

_Loss… I lost someone close? I consider Kr—Artix close?_

_Yes, I do._

_I _did.

I stared blankly at Nythera where she stood in the doorway. She stared back, her eyes inscrutable in such a way so as to make it impossible for me to read her. For some reason, this didn't bother me anymore. With a quiet sigh, as though she were doing me a great favor, Nythera took the few steps over to my bed and sat near my feet, crossing her legs. She didn't say anything, and neither did I. We both knew why, though, without even needing to look at each other—there was nothing to say. There was nothing that had to be said immediately, even though the obvious drifted unexpressed between us.

All the people I would see that knew… they would all say it wasn't my fault. But… it was, and that was what I maintained. This was my motivation to get revenge. A dull, sad sort of anger burned like a slowly growing ember in the center of my body; a painful sting that kept growing as it found evidence to fuel it. Nythera knew this—and perhaps understood it, for she had been in a similar place once. She never told me exactly what happened, but I had never asked, because there was just no reason for me to know.

After a few minutes of silence, Nythera rose from the bed, wordlessly offering her hand. I still could not read her aqua blue eyes, but I didn't need to in order to understand what she was telling me.

_It's time. Now go and kill that bitch._

I clasped my friend's hand, and we used leverage and balance to both gain our footing. My darker blue eyes met hers, and a slightly savage glint made its way into her gaze. It reflected in mine, and a faint smirk brushed across my lips. To an outside viewer, though, it might have appeared more the way a predator bared its teeth.

To me? Same difference.

But then again, I couldn't see myself, so I had to go by my imagination—or, rather, what was left of it. And right now, my imagination was going psychotic with half-formed plans and ideas about how to permanently screw Vayle up.

There were times (much like these, though I would happily forego the situation surrounding it if I had the option) where I absolutely loved my creativity and hyperdrive mind. Even though it used to keep me up too many nights at a time, right now, I was grateful for it. The options my mind laid before me as Nythera left were comfortably overwhelming.

_Cripple?_

No, too easy.

_Maim?_

Too kind…

_Kill…?_

…

Perfect.

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><p><strong>Well, well, well… Methinks Magiya has a plan of action now. Question is, can she go through with it? <strong>

**I swear I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. It took me too long just to write this part… **

**Um, anyway. Writer's advice… Let's see… Ooh! Here's some. **

**Write in your own style. The world already has enough Stephen Kings, J K Rowlings, R L Steins, and J R R Tolkiens. Find your own way to write, and go with that! However, this does not (not by a long shot) mean that you shouldn't read their books, study their works, and so on. For instance, I got my start on my personal style by reading almost innumerable stories and fanfictions online, as well as Jeanine Frost's **_**Night Huntress**_** books; they start with **_**Halfway to the Grave**_**. It's got a good, solid writing style, but is casual and slips humor in here and there. Mine, it's similar, because that's what I used for reference, but mine typically includes fewer humorous points and slightly less dramatic events. That's how I discovered my own writing style; a wide vocabulary, lots of adjectives in a small space, and very few plot holes. **

**Now, I know it might be a little bit… er… **_**arrogant**_**, I guess, on my part to compare my work to these famous authors'. But my point remains the same; read as much material as you can get your hands on. This is how you learn.**

**As always, I hope you enjoyed this amazingly short chapter, and I'll see you next time. :3**


	19. Not Airsick

**Okay, readers, I tell you now, I don't start stuff I don't finish when it comes to fanfictions. So, though there may be a long wait between chapters, this WILL be finished. Promise. :D**

**So, reviews before we get straight to it...**

**Wait, only one? You readers wound me. Oh, my poor little author ego!  
><strong>

**Kindro15: **_Oh, trust me, the conclusion is definitely coming along. Everything's going to be thrown into motion like a train of dominos when the first one is tipped in the next chapter. The thing of short chapters is… well… like my version of a break. ^^" See, life's been really busy for me, so I've been trying to get these things out about as fast as I can write them. U.U Sorry about that._

**And, now, on to the story.**

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><p>No sooner had Nythera closed my bedroom door behind her than I ran my fingers through my hair, taking a deep breath.<p>

_The time for mourning is over. It's time to take action._

Kai flopped down in his bed, lay his massive orange head on his paws, and watched me as I moved about the room. To many people, I suppose, his clever jade eyes would have been quite unsettling. However, I had (in recent years) spent more time around him than other people, leading me to not be bothered by it any longer.

I dressed quickly in my preferred robe; a deep purple one. However, perhaps due to recent events, the edging on this one was not black, but white.

_Strange,_ I thought briefly, _I still seem to care how I look to my enemy even though I'm going to d—_

I stopped that thought dead in its tracks, no pun intended. _I don't need more negative thoughts right now._ Yes, I was going to win; I wouldn't let myself think otherwise. The phrase 'I'll win no matter what or die trying' had a new, deadly meaning to it now.

_But if you die,_ whispered my subconscious softly, in a slightly fearful tone, _then it's over. Past and future, both disappear in the blink of an eye. There is no coming back._

"What choice do I have?" I murmured out loud to thin air as I slid my feet into my white flats.

_Several,_ that side of my mind continued to whisper urgently. _As long as you live to fight another day, there is always a chance!_

"Not this time."

I was not going to allow myself any room for doubt. When I left my house, I left Kai outside with the order to not follow me. This wasn't his battle, but it was mine. And besides, afterwards… I shook myself mentally. He would be fine. If he was going to go to any person after this, he would go to either Cysero or Rolith. I trusted both of them with my trusted pet… and I trusted Kai to not try to eat either of them. After this, I bit my lip slightly, wondering if I even knew how to find Vayle. With a surge of frustration, I realized I didn't.

But I wasn't going to let something so simple stop me from killing her. _She'll have a base. She'll have somewhere to go after all this… a secret hideout. A place to recover. We ran into her around Moonridge and Amityvale, it must be around there,_ my mind continued seamlessly, not missing a beat. _It will be someplace dark, secluded, solitary. She's not the type to hang around others, or gloat, or be praised. She would be alone, wherever her hideout is. And now I have to find it._ I had begun walking along the narrow trail through the woods while I thought, and used everything I knew about the bitch to understand her workings. When it came to enemies and understanding their workings, because of my understanding of human nature, I was damn near flawless, and all too often I was ruthless. Then again, it was times like these that I didn't mind.

As I walked through Falconreach, avoiding people and staying to the shadows, I considered methods of killing Vayle that I hadn't previously thought of. Of course, there was the frequently-available (and most likely technique) magic, but with me, it was kind of a given.

_But my training isn't finished._

"Damn," I muttered under my breath as I began the trek up the path around Falconreach tower. _If my training isn't finished, then there's no way I'll be able to beat her…_

I was about to banish the thought when I realized: _I can't run away from the truth anymore. That's not going to help me get anywhere._

Strange how it took me so long to discover that.

The griffin looked up as I approached, dark amber eyes homing in on my figure as he always did. I cautiously stepped closer before reaching up to whisper in his feathery ear.

"Can you do me a favor, loverboy?" I breathed, and he flicked his ears as he dipped his head slightly. A new, more intelligent (and just a little bit frightening) gleam entered his bronzed eyes, and I met his gaze squarely as he put his head much closer to mine, inspecting my face in much the same way a human would. I've said before that animals were sometimes more clever or rational than some people, and I've also mentioned that the griffin was one of them.

After a long moment, he seemed to sigh, almost, and moved his wing so that I could scramble (in the most dignified way possible, of course) into his ruby-and-gold saddle. "Thanks," I murmured as I secured my arms around his neck. Then he stood, getting a running start off the small wooden platform that was precariously perched on the edge of the bluff before launching himself with breathtaking power into the sky. As I carefully looked down over my shoulder, I was able to watch Falconreach growing ever smaller until it disappeared, blocked from view by a cloud. The griffin took me steadily higher, up and up.

I had never gotten airsick. Maybe this was why I preferred riding the griffin to walking, being in a wagon, or—Lore forbid—riding a _horse_.

With a faint smile as it seemed like the wind swept all of my conflicting thoughts right out of my mind, I turned my face gently into the soft feathers on the griffin's neck. It was my first real, honest smile in… weeks. It felt delicious, particularly as the cold of winter bit into my cheeks, ears, and nose. _This is one of the best feelings in the world,_ I decided then and there. _Cold, fresh air, here at the top of the world…_

Seized by a sudden rush of giddiness as my troubles just dropped away as though _they _were the ones dragged down by gravity, I dared to open my eyes all the way when I pulled my face away from the griffin's neck. The force of the wind he was propelling us against made my eyes water badly, but I didn't close them, only blinking infrequently as I slowly unwrapped my arms from where I had a death grip. Strange, I decided, how I would trust an animal to not let me fall 6000 feet, but I wouldn't—no, _couldn't_—trust a person to not let me fall three feet.

I tilted my head back, letting the wind whip my hair around. I had left it down, having had no incentive to wear it up, and I was sure I was going to pay for it later beause it would be so tangled. Later…. If there was a later.

I just pushed this thought out of my mind, into this little hole at the back of my head where I could worry about it when I had time. I'd dig everything out at some point to deal with all of it, separately and one piece at a time in an organized, orderly manner. Somehow, though, I got the feeling that method wouldn't stick. With my mind always trying to fly in half a dozen directions at once, I was rarely able to focus on any one thing for very long.

I was dragged unceremoniously back to reality when the wind whistling in my ears and around us lessened, and I got the faint sensation of falling. Where my hair blew behind me, it also began to blow upwards. A thrill of fear and excitement made my heart manage to slip an extra beat into its rhythm.

_We're descending._

_There's no turning back._

_This is it._

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><p><strong>Really quick, the chapterly advice… Uh… Well, dang. I can't really think of anything good. O.o<strong>

**Maybe I've said it before, maybe not, but STUDY HUMAN BEHAVIOR. It probably sounds really bizarre, but I did it last year. I sat on the bench in a park and just peoplewatched. (Some people birdwatch, I peoplewatch.) Take the time to look—actually **_**look**_**—at how people walk, talk, and do things. For instance, I was watching a young couple. The guy would whisper in her ear, she would smile, blush, and mumble something back. I think the man found it quite endearing, to tell you the truth, because it just made him grin. Can't you see this happening?**

**Another thing, when there were 3 girls running around (they looked like they were 9-10), a bee buzzed around one's head. She screamed (I swear my ears were ringing) and took off. One followed her, and the other dropped, ducking the bee.**

**So, learn human behavior, mannerisms, habits, etc.**


	20. Warling, Worloc, Warlic

**Hey, hey, hey, I managed to write out another chapter for you readers while I've been at the beach! Now, because I'm sure you're all frothing at the mouth for Magiya's revenge, I'll get straight to reviews and then to the chapter!**

**MissFiyeraba:** _Yay! I have a new follower! :D *tacklehug* Thanks so much for the… __**DESCRIPTIVE DESCRIPTION**__ of Zhi Lao'Hu! :)  
>And I'm thrilled you love Magiya, many people do. XD Thanks so much!<em>

**Kirei Ryuusei: **_Yeah, she was moping badly for a while there, wasn't she? :( And you should know by now that Magiya doesn't give up that easily. -.- As witnessed on the ride back from Moonridge, she doesn't back down often, if at all.  
>Yes, peoplewatch. It's quite amusing. This past week, at the beach, I've been able to more often than usual! It's funny! XD<em>

**CommanderHawke667:** _Now now, I never said that. U.U (Out loud…) Anyway! I'm not spoiling anything, because I'm sure a) You would not appreciate that and b) you want to find out for yourself! :)  
>As for the magepaladin children… o.o Well, one of my friends said that she could never see Artix as <em>married_… So… I guess you'll just have to wait and see the epilogue! )8D_

**So, here we go! Enjoy~**

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><p>There was the sharp clack of claws as the griffin landed on the cobblestones in the same place as before, as he had been trained a long, long time ago. I slid slowly to the ground, not looking up at the wrought iron gates until the hybrid creature had taken off once more.<p>

_Déjà vu._

I took a deep breath, mentally reviewing everything I could remember Warlic ever teaching me about how to harness the magic. After all, a battle like this… I was going to need all the help I could get. I was going to have to remember everything I could about his lessons, and it was going to test the very limits of my mental strength and ingenuity.

I gritted my teeth as I began walking, forcing the negative thoughts out of my head.

_The time for thinking is over,_ I decided then and there. My stubbornness wouldn't let me submit to my thoughts right now. From past experiences with big battles, I had found it helped me significantly to keep a blank mind and not let thoughts or opinions make themselves known or voiced. After all, the enemy typically expected you to have a plan. It threw them off if you just improvised, and quite often it was worth the risk.

My plan here was simple… find Vayle, kill the bitch, and…

And what?

What comes next? What comes after?

What if there is no later?

What if I trip at the last second?

What if I make some fatal error?

What if… I get killed?

_Strange how that still seems to matter to me._

I swallowed all of my fears, worries, and other thoughts for the umpteenth time. I was not going to worry about them right now… I couldn't. I had to focus.

Easier said than done.

My feet carried me through the shadows around Amityvale. My subconscious refused to venture directly into the town at all, perhaps because of the deep-seated fear of being hurt by the townspeople who still held a grudge against me personally for destroying their graveyard (through no fault of my own, of course). Where I walked, I stayed hidden. I didn't know where Vayle's hiding place was, but I did know where I was going to start looking.

I did not reveal myself until I was well clear of the view of any houses or shops, and only then did I cautiously step onto the worn path that wound through the woods. I followed the path as I had before, except now, I did so with much more attentiveness than during the previous time. Now, I knew there was more than just a handful of monsters to deal with out here. Now, there was a screwed-up Necromantress with a giant, cracked magenta jewel trailing after her like a lost puppy. The area was starting to seem more familiar as I drew closer to the end of the trail, and I thought about this with a chilling realization. The last time I was around here…

_He_ died.

Goosebumps raced down my arms as I came upon the scene once more, and it was blaringly obvious to me that the citizens of Amityvale had done very little in the way of cleaning the place up. I almost wondered why before I gave my wandering mind a right hook to get it back to the task at hand. Chunks of stone and (in one case) iron lay strewn around in piles or by themselves. Many of them had scorch marks on them, the only remaining evidence of the fight that had occurred here. My left hand clenched, and almost without my noticing I had done it, I allowed a ripple of golden magic to flow through my tightened fist, and then all I felt under my fingers was smooth, well-worn wood. If nothing else, my staff had always been there for me, even though I hadn't always been there for it.

I knelt down silently to brush my fingers against the rough surface of one of the smashed blocks of stone, where a faint dried stain of some sort of liquid that might once have been red still remained. And right now, this was all that was left of him. A few drops of dried blood, and nothing else. He had been cremated, as per his request from a few years ago, so that he would never be manipulated by a Necromancer to become an Undead Paladin. That would have been an absolute worst-case scenario for him, I reflected wordlessly, remembering what Rolith had told me about him a few months ago before… before all of this started.

"You know…"

I jumped as a voice that positively made my skin crawl came from behind me, its owner having no need to project it because of the dead silence surrounding what was left of the graveyard. I whirled around, recognizing it at once and ready to fight it. My grip on my staff tightened almost to the point of splintering it. Vayle herself sat on a section of the wall that was still standing opposite the destroyed cemetery. Her legs were crossed, and she still looked like a bitch to me. _You know, that habit of hers involving sneaking up behind people has _got_ to stop. _

Her eyes scanned me, as though expecting more, and a faint smirk curled her lip before she followed up on the two words she had spoken not a moment before.

"…A lot of people would view returning to a lost battlefield really… _pathetic._"

I gritted my teeth.

"Then not many people would have the guts to go after a murderer," I responded venomously as I straightened up, allowing the tip of my staff to drift in her direction. She just shrugged, appearing nonchalant even as I began to prepare myself to use magic.

"No," she said simply, "They wouldn't. It's a good thing I'm not a murderer, then, isn't it?"

"Bullshit," I spat, forgoing formalities. _Seems I've been spending too much time around Nythera. _"You killed Artix, you bitch!"

"Now, now, if I had, do you _really _think that I would be here, talking to a useless hero like yourself, instead of raising him from the dead?"

"He was cremated," I said flatly, echoing my thoughts from minutes before. She blinked, then pursed her lips. I was satisfied in a strange way to see that smirk of hers disappear.

"Hm. Well, that would seem to be a problem, wouldn't it?" she asked of thin air, slipping off the wall. Instantly, I was on my guard again, and already driving at the barrier within my mind that held the magic. _No way is this bitch going to catch me off guard._ "That just makes it a little more difficult to bring him back," she continued serenely as that pink floating jewel came into view from behind her. That hated smile curved her lips again as I jerked back, startled.

_There's another way to bring him back?_

"Oh, you didn't know?" she asked, faking surprise. "I would have thought that Mage you all worship… Warling, Worloc… Whatever his name is would have told you."

"Warlic," I corrected quietly, stunned.

"Whatever," she said contemptuously, shrugging. There was a long minute of eerie silence as I stared at her, and she just gazed at me. There was no lie in her eyes. Anger, yes. Power, yes. Arrogance, yes. But no lies.

_She's telling the truth._

"How?" I finally burst out, taking an accidental step closer as my staff dropped a few inches. "You said there's a way to bring him back! How!"

"Why do you think I would tell you? That icon of yours didn't… I don't see why _I _should."

"You were going to bring him back to life anyway!" I reasoned, pain lacing my tone. "What could it hurt to tell me?"

"Ask your teacher, little Mage," she snapped, her lip curling. "You and I have business to finish. I suggest we take care of it, because if you turn your back, I will have no hesitation about striking you."

The icy way she spoke told me that she wasn't kidding. There was a lethal truth in her gaze that would have made anybody feel like the hunted, myself included. I just nodded once; she was right. I brushed a few stray strands of dark brown hair out of my eyes, meeting her gaze squarely.

"Let's make a bet," I said unexpectedly, desperate to know. "If I win… you tell me how to bring him back."

"What if _I_ win, Mage?" she hissed as she held claw-like fingers up in front of her face. A dark purple fire lit up her entire hand, but it did not appear to burn her.

"If you win… you can do whatever you want to me."

"_Whatever_ I want?"

I couldn't think what she would want with me, so I simply nodded once more. If she beat me… all would be lost. She would likely kill me, and any chance would be gone.

_In other words, what do I have to lose? Absolutely nothing. _

The cracked magenta jewel flared slightly, and just for a heartbeat, her eyes flicked to it. The realization hit me like I had just been doused in icy water.

_She's not the one in charge._

_That jewel is._

_I've got to destroy it…_

_How?_

I was given no further time to think or strategize as Vayle lifted the hand encased in violet flames, pointing straight at me. Two unsteady figures suddenly sprang from the dirt below her feet, and I identified them automatically as Skeletons before I discovered I had.

_Their weak spots are the base of the spine and between the shoulder blades. Not the solar plexus._

With the monsters just being a bunch of bones kept together by magic and very little else, they had different vulnerabilities than normal humans. Of course, that might be expected, seeing as they were Undead, not people. Well, not anymore.

Tapping into that spot of power at the back of my mind that was so difficult to reach, I sent two beams of light at the Skeletons as they raised their old, rusty katanas, aiming for the spots I knew would send them tumbling to the ground as a pile of bones. I didn't use more power than I needed, preferring to save my energy and focus for when I really needed them. As the Skeletons fell, I abruptly shot another question at Vayle.

"Why?" I asked, glaring at her and the jewel. My mind was whirling, attempting in vain to find a way to get past her defenses and monsters to shatter the giant cracked gemstone. "Why did you make me kill him?"

"I was going to kill him anyways," she answered with a shrug. She raised another four Undead before she spoke again. "And if he was going to die in any case for things to go according to plan, then why couldn't I have a little bit of fun? It's actually quite amusing, Mage, controlling a weaker being and making them kill a stronger one that won't fight back."

"But there's no sport in it!" I challenged furiously as I shot down another two of her Skeletons. She clearly wasn't taking this seriously.

"I never said there was."

"There's no contest, no real test! And if there isn't, then there's no reason to fight!" I shouted at her as I shattered the skull of the third Skeleton. "There is always a reason for a battle, or else it isn't worth it! If there's no reason for you to throw punches, then there's no force behind them, and the war is already over and you're dead!" I finished as, in one movement, I shot a beam of light straight through the last Undead. It didn't diminish, however, making a beeline for her and the jewel.

I was foolish to expect that to be all it took, but I still hoped.

Instead of hitting either of my targets, the beam of light power seemed to bounce off an invisible shield nearly ten feet from my adversary, shooting off into the sky in a completely different direction than I had originally intended. My shock was enough to cause me to lose my grip on the magic I had streaming through my consciousness, and I mentally scrambled to pick it up again even as my mouth began to move without my command.

"H-How did you do that?" I stuttered. There was no way she was that powerful. I had been taught when it came to magic that hypnosis, suggestion, or any form of mind control was an easy task to learn when compared to other forms of magic. Force fields, however, were on a whole other level, which brought me back to the question: _How did she do that?_ Vayle's eyes suddenly gleamed at the uncertainty in my tone.

"Is the poor little Mage out of her league?" she mocked, her lips curling in an malevolent smirk. "Does she not know what she got herself into?"

As a matter of fact, I didn't.

_Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ I internally berated myself. _You charged into it without thinking, _again!_ You had no idea what this crazy bitch was capable of when you challenged her!_

I furiously dispatched a further three Skeletons that she sent to attack me as a cold, bone-chilling laugh rolled out of her mouth. This Necromantress was fully capable of far more than she had just demonstrated with the force field, and it was this thought that made my blood run cold. _Also,_ said my mind softly, _she hasn't entered the fray yet. She's been sending useless minions she can afford to lose. _

_Does that mean she's testing my limits?... Seeing my potential? _

It seemed so.

"There's no point in giving me monsters that are easily taken care of," I dared. I wanted to face her once and for all, and get this fight over with. My fury and rage was beginning to rise again, and I needed something or someone to take it out on—_fast._ Preferably, her. "I don't think you're powerful enough to fight me head on! Or are you just a _coward?_"

The last word made Vayle's head snap up, and the half-conjured spell in her hand withered away. Barely concealed wrath tumbled around in her eyes, and I began to understand how she had become so successful in Necromancy. There was a certain determined light in her eyes (if a bit terrifying) that I couldn't help but admire.

"If there is any doubt in your mind," she said quietly, somehow drawing herself up even taller, "I highly suggest you banish it now." Nearly visible waves of power rolled off of the area where she and the jewel were, and I almost thought I could feel them on my skin. They made my heart accelerate, and my breaths come faster. A primal sort of fear was quickly making itself known in my brain, and all of the outer signs that Vayle was giving off just said that this chick was dangerous.

_Oh, fuck._

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><p><strong>Hey, we hit 100 pages on here! YAY!<strong>

**Ahem.**

**Chapterly advice… **

**Find a serene, content setting that's moderately quiet, then turn on some music if that's what helps you think. A peaceful background often assists your story-writing skills, and makes it easier to come up with words to put on the page. **

**So, right now, I'm nibbling saltwater taffy while watching a pretty sunset outside the window, listening to the waves… it's peaceful.**


	21. Don't You Dare

**So… yeah.**

**I know the chapter is short, but I just tried to get SOMEthing out.**

**On a side note, before we get to reviews, I would like to take a second to thank all of the people who are following or reading this still, and for putting up with me. Thank you guys SO MUCH, if it weren't for all of you I would have stopped writing this long ago.**

**Now, quick reviews…**

**CommanderHawke667:** _I never said she was going to die! -.- I'm doing my best to answer questions without spoiling anything, YOU try it sometime. XD Not easy! And yeah, maybe I will have Cysero make a surprise appearance…. Nah. :P Everything else is already planned out._  
><em>This takes place… er… hard to explain, really. If you go to Artix, then see his quests, somewhere around the end are the quests dealing with Vayle. The whole Darkness Orb isn't going to be mentioned here (though it technically still does exist), because I really don't want to have to slip everything in and still end the plot where I want to. ^^" Hope that answers your questions.<em>

**MissFiyeraba: **_I'm glad you liked that chapter, and here's the update! :3_

**Kirei Ryuusei: **_Yeah, Magiya's really done it now. X3 And if you think Vayle got worked up in the last chapter… well, let's just say you're in for a surprise and leave it at that. X3  
>Writing at night… I tend to just hole up in my room. Same effect. XD But yes, you're completely correct. There are fewer distractions. And the moon does help, you're right. ^^<br>Here's the update! :)_

**And here we go.**

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><p>My eyes darted from place to place around the Necromantress that was swiftly gathering a frightening amount of power. I didn't want to think about what she was going to do with it. In my head, I concluded that it wouldn't be good and left it at that. But even though multitasking was an easy feat for me, the things I was trying to do simultaneously were <em>not<em>. I was attempting to reach for the magic again, remember the words for a spell that would (not unlike a shield or a force field) protect me by lowering the potency of whatever spell it was that was thrown at me. It wouldn't protect me completely—I wasn't _nearly_ that powerful yet, not even close—but it would, at least, lower the damage done to me. But since I was going up against a top-notch Necromantress, that was about all I could hope for.

_She's arrogant._

Rightfully so. She had enough power to knock an entire village flat, and then some. _Can I get her to overextend herself? To get her to show off, and take her or the jewel out when she's not expecting it?_

No. She's too experienced to fall for that. Somebody's probably tried it on her before, I realized with slight irritation as I clenched my fingers on my staff, sliding my feet a bit to the right. Vayle's eyes had begun to glow slightly, and she was watching me in a predatory manner. It made chills run up and down my spine, and I drew in a shuddering breath.

_She depends on that pink gem._

Well, that was obvious. Besides, to get to that thing, I was going to get past her. That was a hopeless attempt, to try at get at it. I had to defeat Vayle first.

_Does she have any sympathies?_

I didn't think so. Besides, she was already pissed at me for calling her a coward, I thought as I began to slowly funnel the magic through the depths of my mind. Going with that line of reasoning, what did I have to lose?

"Why are you a Necromantress anyway?" I said to her curtly, twisting up the magic in a particular way. How much control you had over the magic depended on how complex the pattern you had it in was, so a simple twist increased the amount I was able to do with it. In this fashion, I was able to maintain the wall that decreased an opponent's magic power as well as think of spells to use against Vayle.

"Why are you a Mage?" she retorted smoothly, eyes glinting. I didn't even attempt to keep my lip from curling.

We both knew, by unspoken consent, that there was an edge somewhere, and if we slipped over it, spells would be cast, curses would fly, and magic would charge the air. The anticipation of that moment was exciting and terrifying at the same time, and while it scared the hell out of me, I was also eager to meet the challenge.

"Did you have problems as a kid?" I shot at her, bloodlust rising. "Did your parents drop you on your head when you were little? Or did your brother or sister throw you against a wall, forgetting that cockroaches don't die?"

I could be wrong, because I thought she was a bitch in the first place, but I think that right then Vayle snapped.

"Don't…"

The power I could feel in the air spiked dangerously.

"…You…"

Her right hand lifted, pointed towards me, the fingers curled in like a claw.

"…_Dare_…"

A small violet orb appeared within her fingers as the pink jewel began to glow with a strange intensity, and small rays of light shone from between her nails. Her lips curled back in a feral snarl that would have made a demon shrink back, and the funky little black wings on her back opened, spreading wide.

"…_Talk about my brother like that!_"

Well… it looked like I'd found her weak spot, for one. For two… I was in some deep shit. The hand containing the orb of pure dark magic flicked once. The little ball whistled towards me at a great speed, faster than the eye could follow. But maybe it was due to Vayle's own pure fury that she missed, creating a small crater among the rubble behind me. Chunks of earth and pieces of already-destroyed rock flew by my head, some more than a foot in diameter. I could feel a fist-sized rock hit the lower part of my back, and then I was given no more time, because Vayle's arm was extended far above her head, fingers spread, and dark storm clouds began to circle above the destroyed cemetery.

That cracked pink jewel flared then, and from all around, strange creatures began to rise from the earth; things I had never even heard of before, much less seen. Some of them looked like they had been put together in a mad scientists' lab with a complete lack of care. There were bits and pieces of various monsters I had glimpsed before that seemed to be somehow glued onto other parts of different monsters. It was like something straight out of a nightmare.

…_Whoops._

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><p><strong>I told you it would be short. But anyway, your chapter, monsignors and mademoiselles.<strong>

**Advice… uh… Er…**

**OOH!**

**Okay, ALWAYS keep a dictionary and/or thesaurus on the table next to you! Particularly the thesaurus. It may sound boring as watching grass grow or paint dry, but it's helpful! Seriously.**

**For instance, a website I have found enormously helpful (especially for vocabulary) is word hippo dot com****. It is AMAZING. It helps you find synonyms, antonyms, opposites, definitions, pronunciation, rhymes, and translations! It is incredibly helpful, and I highly recommend it for writers of any level.**

**Anyway…**

**I hope you enjoyed it, and things are really going to go to hell in a handbasket next time.**


	22. A Little Tied Up

**I know I'm keeping a lot of you on the tightrope with the story. I swear, I'm not trying to! I'm updating quickly, you see? I'm making you happy!**

**Here are the reviews, then we can get to the chapter. There's a nice little flashback in the story this time!**

**CommanderHawke667: **_I appreciate the lack of awkward questions. ^^ It makes things easier for me when I don't have to answer such queries that might ruin the story for readers. For instance, when I was reading the sixth Harry Potter book a couple years ago, my friend walks up, takes one look, and then says, "This guy dies."  
>Naturally, I promptly hurled the book at her head.<br>Now, since I would like to avoid repeating such incidences, I will no longer answer questions about the future of the fanfiction. ^^ That goes for EVERYBODY._

**MissFiyeraba: **_Thanks so much! I'm glad you like it. ^^ And as for what she will do, well, you're about to find out._

**Aww, only two?**

**Now, the chapter, since you guys are probably about to tackle me just to get it.**

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><p>I shivered once, partly out of just reaction to seeing these <em>things<em>, and also partly because I knew that if I didn't come up with some brilliant plan to destroy that jewel that was giving Vayle power, the bet was lost, and there was no chance of ever winning—or of seeing Artix ever again.

I had to come up with some unexpected, amazing, unpredictable, and mind-boggling strategy that would catch Vayle off-guard so I could demolish the cracked pink crystal. That was the bottom line, and while I had little to no idea exactly _how_ I was going to accomplish that, there had to be a way.

_There's ALWAYS a way!_ I thought desperately as I ducked a calculated hit from one of the monsters. I still had no idea what they were… and that scared me. I had no idea what their abilities were, or even how they were made. I didn't know their origins, and I didn't know how well they could withstand my attacks. Hell, I didn't even know what element did the most damage against them! I felt like a Gorillaphant in Lim's workshop, being so full of such delicate machinery and experiments.

A solid blow to the left side of my ribcage brought my head back down to earth, and I was sent sprawling on the ground, at the mercy of another of the monsters. _If this thing doesn't kill me, sheer numbers will._ Right as this current creature lifted its arm (tentacle? I couldn't tell, and didn't want to wonder about it), I sent a beam of light straight through its sternum. Monster gore blew back on me as it exploded, and I tried not to hurl as I scrambled to my feet. Ordinarily, I would probably be panting lightly. However, much to my dismay, that _creature_ had probably cracked my ribs, making it extraordinarily painful to breathe.

_Well, that's going to slow me down…_

I didn't bother internally (or externally, for that matter) ranting about it. During a battle, there was very little (if any) why, how, or what. There was almost exclusively _is_, and that makes it difficult to focus on anything else aside from what was occurring under your nose.

_Or,_ I thought dryly as I reached for a spell that would cause a series of light rays to erupt in all directions from my position, _From behind you as well._ I flinched as a swing from one of the strange arms came within mere inches of my brow, then was caught off guard as a quick jab from a second creature gave me a broken nose before the other arm—another of those tentacle things that creeped me out—slid around my neck in a chokehold. A trickle of warm blood ran down from my nose and onto my lip. I tasted the metallic tang of the blood in my mouth as I pulled my lips back, gritting my teeth. I could do little more than struggle to breathe at the moment as it lifted me up in the air a foot or two, enough that I couldn't come close to touching the ground with the tips of my toes. In my frustratingly pointless attempts to free myself, I accidentally dropped my staff. It clattered to the ground, but I didn't hear it, tied up as I was (almost literally) in the monster's grip.

"Fucking—bastards!" I choked out, still endeavoring to claw out my captor's arm unsuccessfully with my nails.

"In a way, they are," said Vayle coldly. The bitch perched neatly on one of the countless boulders strewn around, almost carelessly. "They are simply bits and pieces of different monsters put together in the laboratory at the university. I can call them up at will."

_Only thanks to your lifeline, that jewel._

I began to gasp like a fish out of water as black spots began to swim in front of my gaze, and my scrabbling at the thing's slimy arm with my fingernails gained a new desperation.

"Bitch," I barely managed to force out as my head began to swim and the world tipped dangerously. I could faintly feel blows other monsters were getting in on my body. They felt like heavy impacts, but the pain of the hits had yet to reach my brain. My mouth opened and closed, but no air was getting in.

Asphyxiation is a horrible feeling. Your mouth is moving, you're still in basic control of your limbs, but your lungs are burning, and air is cut off even though you can feel it in your mouth. It's like placing a piece of bread before a man who's been starving for a week and then telling him that he can put it in his mouth, chew it up, even, but he can't swallow it, and he has to spit it out.

"Can't… face… me… y…yourself?" I managed to whisper out as I gave up trying to kick at anything. Even a simple movement like that now sent my vision spiraling, and gave me a feeling of nausea. I wasn't sure now I could do much else aside from hang there even if I had wanted to.

Screw that, I _did_ want to. But there wasn't much of anything I could do about it, in any case. My hands slipped off the limb that was still wrapped in a chokehold (no pun intended) around my neck, still twitching occasionally. I knew enough to know that, without air, a human was able to survive without too many adverse effects for nearly two minutes. It might have been close to two minutes by now, but to my oxygen-deprived brain, it felt like much, much longer than that.

_Is this it…?_

No. No, it couldn't be.

_Is this death?_ I wondered as I began to drift… it felt like everything was wrapped in cotton. _No… couldn't be._ Warlic… he had mentioned a hooded figure with a scythe. Death.

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><p>"<em>Warlic, have you ever been to the Underworld?" a young woman with glowing blue eyes and a freshly-carved wooden staff shot at her silver-haired mentor. A grin was firmly fixed on her features as she sat in the bright green grass, saying whatever happened to be on her mind. She couldn't have been older than about sixteen.<em>

"_Death's realm?" the Blue Mage confirmed in amusement. "Magiya, we really should return to your studies—"_

"_I've worked enough for right now!" the girl, Magiya, dismissed eagerly as she awaited his answer with shining eyes. The man was clearly her role model, or more likely a father figure of sorts. "C'mon, Warlic, tell me!"_

"_Very well," he chuckled, smiling slightly. This girl was certainly the most... _enthusiastic _pupil he'd had in quite some time. "Let me see… yes, to answer your question, I have been there. The Underworld, frequently referred to as Death's Realm by many and most learned magicians, witches, sorcerers, and Mages." Here, the mentoring side of his personality made its appearance, and he continued to teach while at the same time satisfying his student's curiosity._

"_You were there? What was it like? Was it really hot? Who did you see there? Did you recognize anybody? What did Death look like?"_

"_Three at a time, Magiya," Warlic warned with a smile. "As I said, yes, I was there. It was like… a darker version, I suppose, of the world you know now. It was dull, and nothing was solid. We all float there. There were many people there, yes, including Death."_

"_What was Death like? And what do you mean you all float?" the young lady demanded shamelessly._

"_I mean we all float there," repeated Warlic slightly testily. "Pay attention. Death was… just a hooded figure. There was no good way to describe him. He was always there, like something you can see at the edge of your vision, but you're not really sure you saw him. But when he wanted you to see him, there was no way you could miss him. He carried around a huge scythe; the blade alone was nearly as long as you are tall," he added, and Magiya's eyes gleamed in joy. She loved learning. "Wherever he went, there was always this… aura, I suppose, of hopelessness and sadness that always followed him. He thrives in that kind of situation."_

"_How do you know that? Did he tell you? Are you two friends?"_

"_No, we are not friends, merely acquaintances," he corrected calmly. He was surprisingly tolerant of her abrupt and curious nature. "And it was something I learned from observation, something you should try sometime," he said gently, ruffling her wavy brown hair in an unusually affectionate gesture. Magiya grinned widely ducking her head slightly. "Now, I think it's time we returned to your studies, don't you?"_

"_This had better all pay off," she chirped cheerfully, pushing her bangs out of her face. "When I'm done, I want to be as powerful as you are, Warlic!"_

"_We'll see," he chuckled._

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><p><strong>So, tiny flashback. Things resume in full force next chapter. I just thought some of you might appreciate seeing a little glimpse into Magiya's past, and the explanation for the thoughts she had about Death.<strong>

**Another thing, Warlic did say something in Dragonfable (around the Storm War, I believe) about being to death's realm, and how they all floated there. Maybe I'll try to find a screenshot or something of it.**

**Anyway, advice. If you get stuck, find weird songs. Get the lyrics in your head, and try to find a situation that would fit them (love songs are best). Think: When you first read the lyrics, exactly what sort of situation do you think of? Build on that.**

**One of the best songs I've found for that is **_**Kiss It All Better,**_** by the band He is We. It's such a sad love song/story, and I've seen so many oneshots and drabbles based on it. ^^**

**Good luck, and hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading.**


	23. All It Takes is One Mistake

**Hello, dear readers. **

**Reviews first, because I don't really have anything to say:**

**CommanderHawke667:** _Yeah, probably won't be many of those... well, ever. O.o :3 Glad you liked it, though. _

**Jellybelly Puffypants:** _Oh my goodness, thank you so much for the detailed review! 8'D I was worried I was making their love tale too doom and gloom, to be honest. ^^"  
>Besides, characters tend to root for the heroine that is wily and sly, and doesn't immediately fall for "prince charming". :)<br>All the same, thank you so, so much! And I'm eternally grateful for the Favorite Author listing!_**  
><strong>

**And now, to the anxiously awaited update.**

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><p>"Wake up, you worthless excuse for a human."<p>

A kick punctuated the insult, and a dull pain radiated from the area around my already cracked (and most likely broken) ribs. I was barely conscious enough to let out a soft groan, slightly curling in on myself.

_No… that memory was so comforting… let me go back to it, it's all I have left._

Another kick.

"Get up. You wanted to fight me directly, now get your stupid ass up off the ground, you pathetic girl. I said _get up!_"

A third kick came after the exclamation, and somewhere at the back of my mind, I knew that I needed to rise now, or be annihilated.

_Get up._

Why? It'd be so much easier to just… let it go…

_Get up NOW. This will be your last chance to fight for life!_

But… it's not worth it…

_YOU ARE GOING TO DIE. GET UP!_

If I die, I'll see him again… Artix…

_If you get up, you have a chance to live. Then you will be told how to bring him back. Wouldn't he rather live than be brought back by _her _as an Undead?_

That made everything in my head click into place, and the tiny flame that was my determination hesitantly flickered into existence again. Almost without my directing them, my arms began to move, pushing upwards to support my torso. My head still hung, gazing unseeing at the dirt below my fingers. I silently struggled to push myself up into a standing position, and it occurred to me belatedly that I didn't have my staff with me.

_It fell when I was about to lose my life to that creature,_ my mind registered. I felt like I was watching everything from outside my body, and like I wasn't the one controlling my limbs. I shook my head once I was on my feet, trying to make everything else in my scrambled head to slide into the whole, like the pieces to a puzzle. _It makes things easier to have my staff, but… it's not completely vital. _I straightened up as much as I could while still being slightly dizzy, and bared my teeth at Vayle. The slightly inhuman action reminded me of Kai, and a moment's worry about him made me pause.

"How about as a gesture of goodwill," Vayle said viciously, "I let you have first hit."

_If she's that confident about all this…_ I shook off the half-formed thought in my mind. I already knew that this Necromantress bitch was probably stronger than I was, I didn't need the added apprehension. So, instead of losing my chance, I just nodded curtly. _If a free hit is offered, you don't turn it down._ Just like if there was a healing pad, you never passed it up, no matter how little you seemed to need it.

There was no moment when the fight really started. All I knew was that one second, we were standing there, and the next I was ducking and dodging anything she threw at me as best I could. Much to my relief, the Necromantress didn't summon any more undead creatures to fight me; this time, it was one on one.

In a way, I both appreciated and admired that.

The entire time I attempted to evade her magical and melee attacks, I was pushing my mind to its limit, shoving it deeper into the stream of magic that lay behind the barrier than I ever had before. I wasn't using my preferred techniques to get past the walls, either—it was all brute force that allowed me to reach the magic. And while that felt… profoundly _wrong_, it was the most effective strategy that permitted me to use the least amount of my focus at the moment. In the depths of my mind, it was blow after blow after mind-shattering blow at the magic, nothing but shoving at the magic to bend it to my submission.

But no sooner had I finally grasped the full control of it than I was no longer in control of my own body.

Some foreign power seized the controls of my whole frame, making my limbs and even eyes move without my command. As soon as I realized what was happening, I did my best to pull back the tendrils of thought that were sunk so deep into the river of magic racing through the back of my mind, but to no avail. It was akin to pulling your feet out of a tar pit; impossible and nothing short of terrifying.

Whatever it was that was invading my body, it did not allow me to get injured any worse, at least. When I had thought my energy reserves nearly depleted, whatever it was pushed my body beyond the limits I typically unconsciously set for it.

_So this is why Warlic can't use too much magic,_ I realized numbly as I continued to try and pull myself out of the unyielding pull of the current. I sensed something else there, too, something that frightened me far more than the fact that I did not control my body. When I realized what it was, my struggles to escape the magic suddenly increased dramatically, with my inner self nearly thrashing.

_Madness,_ I realized with panic. _This is madness. Beyond the magic lies madness, irrationality, insensibility. That is the place where there is no reasoning or common sense, no rational judgment and no reason._

Madness… One of my irrational fears that had never been acknowledged. Now, however, it didn't seem so irrational, not with the flexible fingers stretching towards me, wearing manic smiles.

_NO!_ I roared, both internally and externally. Fighting back against the magic that nearly consumed me, I drew myself up, flinging out my left arm towards Vayle. Something made her pause, and I'm not sure what it was. Perhaps it was the look in my eye, or maybe it was her considering her next move. I don't know, and I don't care.

_Work with me,_ I crooned to the magic that encompassed my body. I was so close… so close to winning, so close to killing her… so close to the madness. I wasn't going to stop this far short of my goal. Still… I felt like I was missing something. I was very close to something else… but what was it?

_Kill her._

A jet of pure energy (not lightning, and not light… I'm not sure what it was. It just _existed_) exploded out of my palm, paired with the release of a purely irrational, cracked, and insane laugh escaped my lips. I continued to laugh in a truly horrifying way with delight as the magic forced more and more of its power through that outlet anchored to my left palm. I threw my head back as it unleashed even more of its terrifying force, feeling almost giddy.

All this time, I had continued to fight the river and the madness within, and I still fought to not slip. One mistake. That would be all it took.

I was so, so very close. I could see, beyond the blinding power, Vayle with a force field up, her arm in front of her eyes, wrestling with not letting any of the ancient magic that I now controlled through the cracks. But her resolve was slipping, I could see that much, and a look of pure, unimaginable terror, dread, and distress crossed her face. Then a ray of the yellow power shot through her shield, nailing the magenta jewel and splitting it up into thousands of tiny shards that were all but a powder. The light surrounded Vayle, and a shriek similar to the type a banshee might emit came from her.

I didn't stop.

The laughter that was beginning to send chills down my spine was still coming from my own mouth, and I must have looked almost demonic as I felt. Up was down, left was right. White was black, hard was soft, and all the things in between. My mental fingers began to tremble against the pull of the madness and the current, shaking terribly.

Let go.

Just let go of it… it would be so much easier.

_No._

There would be nothing else to worry about, though, little Mage.

_NO,_ I said again to the voices within my mind.

You won't miss anything here, whispered another in my ear.

Come with us.

Life is fun here.

There is no death.

_Death…_

No death, they promised.

_Death._ I repeated it firmly to myself. There was something I needed to remember… It had to do with death.

Nothing to worry about. Just let go, murmured the voices again, sounding terribly inviting.

_It would be so easy to let go,_ I breathed, agreeing with them, _But no. There's something I need to do first. _

No there's not, they crooned. Nothing you need to worry about.

_Bullshit,_ I snapped, now infuriated. _I need to do… whatever it was!_

… What was it?

_No. Doesn't matter right now. Get to safe ground. _

With that new goal inside my mind, I fought to my limits against the madness and the magic. The further I got from it—inch by inch, painfully slowly—the more my terror increased, as well as the realization of what I had been about to give in to.

_Artix! I have to get him back!_

And with that, I burst free from the matter behind the walls, and returned to my own head.

Outwardly, I'm sure I stood there for several long minutes, staring off into space. But as soon as I regained control of my limbs, I dropped to the ground on my knees with a tremendous gasp, dragging air into my lungs as fast as I could. For my mind right now, though it felt quite empty, there existed nothing but absolute dread that slowly faded with each lungful of oxygen I sucked in through my mouth.

I leaned forward until my brow rested gingerly on the earth, my hands planted on either side. I continued to breathe heavily, but maybe not quite so desperately as before. I allowed my eyes to drift shut for a few minutes, allowing my heartbeat to slow along with my breathing.

After what felt like hours, I finally sat up, looking around. Straight ahead from where I stood, there was a long, straight gouge dug out of the earth, and I couldn't see where it ended.

_I did that…_

A little to the side, in a puddle of blood that had nearly soaked into the ground, there lay a lean, slim figure, breathing shallowly.

_Vayle._

With effort, I forced myself to my feet, but almost immediately fell to the ground again, my strength having nearly deserted me. The world spun, but I continued to fight the nausea, crawling over to where Vayle lay some twenty feet away. I needed to know.

"How?" I asked numbly, shaking her shoulder mercilessly. Her eyes flicked over to me before becoming unfocused again. She didn't answer. I shook her again, my eyes narrowing. "How do I get Artix back? Tell me!" Her breathing stuttered, and her eyes zoned in on me again.

"Death's realm," she whispered in a small voice. "Go…"

"Death's Realm?" I repeated, my brow furrowing.

"Yes…" she murmured as her blinks began to slow down, her eyes permanently unfocused now. "I didn't… I never _meant_ to kill him… It was Noctis…"

"Noctis?" Somewhere in the back of my stressed out and nearly shattered mind, it seemed to me that this was the type of thing that she had to get out before nobody alive knew it. I understood that urge, and I was willing to listen.

She was dying, after all, and I had no more health potions, and no way to heal her. Not that I would, anyway. The point was that I couldn't even if I had wanted to.

"Yes… jewel… he manipulated me… told me… he could get my b… brother… back… my brother… I'll see him again?" Her tone tugged at my heartstrings. It sounded so young and hopeful that I couldn't help but nod. _Her brother… he must have died. Well, that explains her overreactions when I insulted him in a roundabout way. _I nodded again, and her face relaxed slightly, a faint smile brushing across her lips. _She must really have loved him…_

Then before I could do anything more, her eyes rolled back, and her breathing slowed before stopping completely.

_I did this… I killed her…_

_I won._

A hollow victory.

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><p><strong>So, things wrapped up with the fight between these two here. Next time, you are permitted to look forward to the last big leg of this story… actually getting Artix back. ^^<strong>

**If you have questions that do not involve spoilers, please feel free to ask. Whether I will answer is another matter entirely.  
><strong>

**Advice? Be careful to not get carpal tunnel. XD I'm pretty damn close to getting it already. You'd better love me, readers. :(**

**Hope you enjoyed.**

**Until next time. **


	24. Flirty Comments and Annoying Habits

**Okay, here's the next chapter. I'm pretty sure that there are only anywhere from 3 to 5 chapters left in this fanfiction, I'm sorry to inform you, and I do know that they haven't been written yet. To date, this is all I have written. Heh. But based on how many followers I have, I'd say this fanfiction got pretty popular in the making, and I'd love to give all of you a hug in thanks.**

**Unfortunately, I don't know any of you, and I can't give you all a hug, as I'd like to.**

**Anyway, reviews before we get to it!**

**CommanderHawke667: **_Yes, the voices that Magiya was hearing were, in fact, demons. Demons, just the madness talking, others that have submitted to it before, whatever you want to call them. ^^  
>And thank you so much for the compliment! :'D<em>

**Kirei Ryuusei:** _I'm glad you enjoyed that one. :3 I had to come up with something that would make Magiya more likely to lose, and it took nearly a week of brainstorming just for that particular topic. XD Madness just seemed to fit.  
>And yes, now it's on to saving Artix and finding a way to restore him to his former place in the world! :D<em>

**MissFiyeraba:**_ Amazing, you say? :'D I'm touched! And I am thrilled you love reading this so much!_

**Jellybelly Puffypants: **_You're very welcome for the "shout-out", as you put it! I always do for the reviews I get! :) And after all, for every bully, meanie, or villain, behind them, there was/is always someone who made them that way.  
>As for the other problems, there will be repercussions for everything that happens in the world, big or small.<br>Far from over? I wouldn't say that, exactly. ^^" Like I said above, there are only a handful of chapters left to go! :3 The Noctis issue… I have no intentions to address that particular part of the plot in this fanfiction. It would make it longer than I was intending to make it and open up all sorts of problems that would create larger plot holes than I think I can fix… so as far as I am concerned, for _Zhi Lao'Hu, _Noctis is (for all intents and purposes) dead and gone._

**A special thanks to all of our reviewers!**

**Now, we begin!**

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><p>I don't remember how I managed to get to Warlic's field. I didn't even remember walking away from the battle. What little I <em>can<em> remember, to this day, are just scattered flashes of what happened; I filled in the blanks by myself.

At first, I was standing a few yards from Warlic's tent, and he was talking to Nythera about something or other. Then I blinked, and they were both right _there_. Warlic's mouth was moving, but I couldn't hear much of anything. I couldn't make out what he was saying, and whatever I could hear was muted, like it was having to go through water. I think I frowned, but I couldn't be entirely sure what my face was doing. The limits of extreme exhaustion had been pushed beyond the ones I knew, and I was sure the only reason that I was still upright was from sheer stubbornness, and precious little else. I blinked again.

_Huh… that's strange. The ground is moving. Why's it moving up…?_

I must have closed my eyes then, because I don't remember being in Warlic's field any more. I remember being on my back, laying on something hard. Despite my exhaustion, somehow, my mind continued to register things before I could stop it.

_Hard, long. Too high up for the floor. Table, _I concluded.

I was inside, another conclusion made from seeing the rafters above me.

People's faces faded in and out of my vision, but I was so exhausted that I couldn't even attempt to make my eyes focus. However, I was unable to sleep as well, and I was caught permanently between the state of waking and the glorious, blessed state of complete unconsciousness that I sought after. I was still awake, but I wasn't able to rest. In short, it was a living hell.

I could vaguely feel light pressure here and there on my arms or legs, and all over my body. It didn't hurt, though.

_They're probably healing me… I'm starting to feel a little better._

And as the slight discomfort of my injuries faded, it became easier to slide closer to that wonderful blackness that was sleep.

At last, after what could have been minutes and could have been days, I finally sank back, deep in to the recesses of my mind where nothing could get to me. Nothing could reach me, nothing could touch me, and I was safe. Where I was here, at the deepest part of my mind, I was healing, and pondering the information I had received from Vayle.

"_Death's Realm… go…"_

_How in the hell am I supposed to go to Death's Realm? The only way I know of is by dying, and I'm not too very keen on doing that._

I'd heard of a tale, I think it was called _Romeo and Juliet_. When the man, Romeo, thought that his lover was dead (when, in fact, she was sort of playing possum), he killed himself. When the lady, Juliet, saw him dead, she wanted to die too, and did so moments after.

_I'll be damned if I do anything of the sort,_ I thought firmly. _I'm not _that _desperate to get him back._

He loved you, murmured the voice in my head enticingly. Why _wouldn't'_ you go to fetch him?

_Because… because… Those that are dead sometimes need to remain dead,_ I balked.

You went through all of this trouble only to back out now?

_No! I didn't say that. I said _sometimes_, didn't I?_

It was implied.

_Was not!_ I replied heatedly. _Wait… I'm arguing with myself._

Yes. Yes you are.

_Don't agree with me! You're not even supposed to _be _here!_

Back to the topic at hand… How are you going to go to Death's Realm?

To this, I had no answer. I pushed away the voice, just like I had so many times before, and hid as deep as I could within myself.

"_Because I love her!_"

"_Tell me, do you like me?"_

"_You have something to hide. Everyone does."_

"_You're so guarded. Let someone in so that someone can really care."_

"_Are you always so mistrustful?"_

"_I'm not going to let you fall."_

"_Ruthless Bambi…"_

"_She doesn't understand me… is that all it is?"_

"_Live life like a dog. If you can't eat it and you can't hump it, pee on it and walk away!"_

"_Yep, she is most definitely rabid!"_

"_You look some combination of pissed off and someone-just-shot-my-puppy. What's wrong?"_

"_Do you hate me?"_

"_Why do you have such _demented _trust problems towards people?"_

"_Has anyone ever told you you're a character?"_

"_I can't go home."_

"_Artix von Krieger at your service, Paladin extraordinaire."_

All of the conversations I had ever had with him swirled through my head, almost everything he had ever said to me, and I listened to them gratefully. They were all that really remained of him in _this_ plane of existence… just memories. And this may sound very wrong to anyone else, and it even sounded strange to _me, _but… I missed him. I missed his snarky, "all that" comments, and his insightful conclusions (particularly about me) that only came once in a while. I missed the strangely comforting sound of his voice, like gravel covered in velvet. Deep, but soft. His commanding presence, even when he wasn't trying to be intimidating. The way he always challenged me, and how I always rose to the occasion.

_Funny,_ I thought dully, _You'd think I wouldn't miss it… any of it. Any of the flirty comments and annoying habits. But… I do._

Loss… it wasn't a feeling I was familiar with, to say the least. It was an emotion that I always tried to avoid feeling, and attempted not to associate myself with. This might have been one of the only times I was unsuccessful, and it would certainly be the most memorable time.

_I miss him…_

It was a strange conclusion for me.

And it was around this point in time that I finally opened my eyes to see where I was.

Wooden rafters above me, with wooden walls on all four sides, and in the corner of the room there was a simple door. The rest of the room was everything but normal. There were small tables and shelves all around the room, and on every available surface there were various items, nearly all of them either health or Mana potions or herbal remedies.

_Where the hell am I?_

There was a tiny curtained window on the wall to my left behind a row of potion bottles with an assortment of colors of liquids inside them. The small curtain was dusty, leading me to believe that it had most likely not been opened in a while. Candles had been lit here and there around the room, providing a reliable light source. I cautiously sat up, still not sure where I was yet. As I did so, however, I stifled a small groan. I may have been mostly healed, but I was still sore beyond belief. When I was sitting up on the table (I had guessed correctly) I slowly rolled my head around my shoulders, cracking my neck in three places.

_Lore, I can't remember the last time that felt so good._

Just as I was moving my lower legs over the side of the table, the door opened with a quiet creak to reveal a tired-looking Serenity with a few things in her hands, mainly potion bottles from what I could see. I blinked as she looked up at me, surprise crossing her features before she smiled widely.

"Magiya! You're finally awake, good, good. How do you feel?"

"I feel like I've been kicked by a horse," I grunted truthfully as I pushed my arms back, stretching. "Thanks. …Also, exactly how long…"

"About two days. You slept like the dead, I'm surprised you didn't sleep longer than you did."

"Do you know…?"

"Yes," she answered matter-of-factly as she set the items in her arms down on one of the few spare places in the room. "Everyone does. You know how fast word can spread in a town if something slightly out of the ordinary happens, much less a major event."

Serenity had always been able to read people, often just as well as (if not better than) me. This was one of the times where I was grateful for it, because saying my thoughts out loud seemed humiliating, somehow. I turned my torso, cracking my back in two places.

"I feel so stiff…"

"Laying completely still for forty-eight hours will do that to you," she stated, smiling gently. I still sat with my legs hanging off the edge of the table, not quite feeling like I was ready to stand just yet. Serenity reached over from the other side of the table, carefully pressing her fingers to my forehead. "You're not too warm, that's good," she murmured, brushing a strand of blonde hair out of her face. "Also, Warlic left a message for you. Nythera did too," she told me with a sparkle in her eyes, "But hers was a bit more colorful."

"That sounds like her," I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "What did Warlic want?"

"He said that he wanted to see you when you felt well enough to travel, as soon as you can."

It was never said aloud, but when the Blue Mage said 'as soon as possible' or 'as soon as you can', it usually (if not always) meant 'yesterday, and five minutes ago if you can manage it'. I grimaced, sighing.

"What all did I miss?" I questioned.

"As you might imagine, Amityvale is in a bit of an uproar," she said, perching on the other side of the wooden table. "They're very well-known for their Undead, Necromancers, and in this case, a certain Necromantress. When you killed their only one, they got a little upset." I winced. "Not to mention, their cemetery was absolutely obliterated. They weren't too happy about that, either. Oaklore Keep is having trouble with bandits again," she continued, sounding as though she were going down a mental checklist. I wouldn't have been surprised if she were. "And Elysia is helping a new adventurer with his dragon egg. Also, the mill around Surewould Forest is overrun by monsters—_again_." I understood her exasperation; the mill never seemed to be free of monsters. "And… I think that's it."

"So, in other words, nothing immediately pressing," I summarized, running the fingers of my left hand through my loose brown hair.

"Magiya… something else," Serenity began hesitantly, and I glanced at her in surprise.

"What?"

"The bruises on your neck… I think they'll have to heal by themselves… none of my potions worked on them…"

In reaction to the first five words, I automatically lifted my hand to my throat, but of course I couldn't feel anything unusual. They were bruises, after all. However, when my fingertips pressed lightly, I yelped.

_That hurt!_

Then don't do that, my subconscious muttered dryly. I bashed its head in with a rock.

"I see," I muttered under my breath. Serenity looked worried and slightly guilty, and I hurried to explain myself. "I'm just annoyed that I was stupid enough to feel for them, that's all!"

"Okay," she said reluctantly. But I could see that she was a little more reassured.

"So, Warlic wanted to see me?" I asked with a very ungraceful change of subject.

"Yes," she confirmed. "Do you want to see him now?" I nodded, and she stood. "Be careful when you stand up, you might be a little bit unsteady. You were nearly dead when Warlic and Nythera brought you here, and you haven't used hardly any of your muscles in two days." I nodded again, carefully easing my feet onto the floor. True to her word, my equilibrium was thrown off very badly, and I had to keep a hand on the edge of the table. Serenity was right there to catch me if I fell, but she didn't try to help, for which I was very grateful. _This is my task to do._

My staff was leaning right outside the door in the hallway, and I reclaimed it quite readily, also using it as a light crutch to keep my balance. My knees felt a little bit like jelly, and it was a bit of an effort to stay straight. In a strange way, it felt as though my head had been dropped into a completely different body, and I had to re-familiarize myself with my own body's controls.

"There's someone here to see you," Serenity said in an amused voice as she opened the next door for me. No sooner were the words out of her mouth than a familiar feeling began winding its way around my legs, warming them. I dropped my hand heavily onto a wonderfully hot, furry, far-too-high-up head, and felt a silent purr rumble through my chest.

"Kai!" I said with quiet delight, ruffling the orange-gold fur on the top of his head. His bright green eyes gazed up at me, almost like he was seeing right through to my soul. If you've never experienced that, I don't suggest you do. It's quite unsettling, particularly when an animal does it, because you don't expect it from anything aside from a human being.

"He just lay in the main room behind the counter," she explained as we walked to the door. The main room of the inn was nearly deserted, much to my relief. I wanted to avoid any stares, if at all possible. "The only time I tried to shoo him out, he nearly set the inn on fire." I blushed in embarrassment, though I was slightly pleased by that. He was a loyal pet and ally. "Then Warlic said he belonged to you, and I set him up a little bed out of sight of the guests."

"Thank you," I said, slightly touched. Serenity smiled.

"Well, it's not like I was able to throw him out, even if I wanted to. He must be, what, almost twice my weight? Not to mention at least three or four times stronger."

That brought a slight chuckle out of me, and I was surprised at myself. I felt… lighter, somehow, even though I had a meeting with my mentor ahead of me.

_Warlic is gonna be pissed,_ I thought warily as I bid Serenity good bye. My mentor nearly always kept a level head during any situation, but I couldn't think of a way to get out of this one. _I know he grounded Nythera… so what's he gonna do to me?_ Kai must have sensed my uncertainty as we began the trek (very, very slowly) up the path around the Guardian Tower, because he pressed slightly closer to me as we walked. Right now, I was grateful for his silent support, because it meant I at least had someone who was on my side with things.

With Warlic, I wasn't sure I would be so lucky. I winced as I imagined the possibilities, none of them preferred.

_Best case, he berates me and grounds me like he did Nythera…_

Kai seemed to sense my nervousness, because every few steps he purposely bushed up against my legs. A few times, he nearly pushed me off balance, but I think the fact that he didn't realize he was doing it is what made me smile. When we reached the portal, I paused for a minute, hesitating. I wasn't sure that I wanted to face Warlic just yet.

_You'll have to see him at some point,_ I reasoned unwillingly. _Best to do it when you're _almost _fully healed, but not completely, so he can't go all out on you._

I took a deep breath before taking a step through the rectangular stone archway, willingly melting into that strange feeling of dissipating and then reassembling when you walked through a portal. I found myself in Warlic's field again, as expected. It was a beautiful day; sunny, warm, cloudless, and perfect.

It couldn't have been more mismatched to the wariness I was feeling right now, I thought grimly as I approached the two burgundy tents.

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><p><strong>So, like I said, a maximum of about 5 chapters left in <strong>_**Zhi Lao'Hu**_**. We are officially in the falling action part of the story, I think, and rapidly nearing the conclusion. I can promise no specific dates for the chapters to be released, but I do promise I'll get them written as soon as possible and as well as possible.**

**If there's a severe delay with publishing the chapters, please forgive me. Life has decided to take me for a few turns lately, and very few were appreciated.**

**Have a nice week or so!**


	25. A Long Shot

**I know you guys deserve a longer update, but seeing as school's about to start back for me, I've been a little busier than usual. ^^" Review responses before we quickly get into the story.**

**MissFiyeraba:** _Thanks, that means a lot to me. :) _

**Oh, and did you know before I started this fanfiction that I really didn't put much faith in the A/Ns that said getting reviews lift spirits? Yeah, I've kinda done a 180 in that respect… Here we go!**

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><p>I found myself in Warlic's field again, as expected. It was a beautiful day; sunny, warm, cloudless, and perfect.<p>

It couldn't have been more mismatched to the wariness I was feeling right now, I thought grimly as I approached the two burgundy tents. I could see Nythera jabbering away at Warlic about something or other, probably about how he needed to teach her more. On that issue, however, I stood with Warlic. Nythera needed patience before she could be trusted with the magic.

_Well, no more putting it off now,_ I thought, mentally resigned. The only thing I would be able to do is run… and I was done running.

That didn't mean that I wanted to confront Warlic's wrath, of course.

I forced my feet to take me forward, feeling more and more like my small shoes were filled with lead the closer I got. A sense of foreboding swirled over my mind, and even though I was fairly sure that it was purely a result of my overactive imagination, it didn't help any. As I approached, I could faintly make out the words Warlic was saying to Nythera; hers were much more audible due to the volume at which they were flying out her mouth like daggers in themselves. I winced as I heard some of the language she was using.

_Nothing's changed there._

My hopes that I might get away clean were dashed when Nythera suddenly paused, her cyan eyes flicking over to me. _Shit…_ I thought miserably as Warlic also turned to me. He didn't move, but something in his eyes froze over. _Yup, he's mad._

"Nythera," he said quietly, his tone flat and level, "Go and get me some fire yarn from the magma caves." Warlic's voice, to an outside observer, might have seemed apathetic or dull, even bored.

But I knew better. Nythera and I both did.

What we could hear in our mentor's voice was nothing but pure, mostly-concealed white-hot anger. It made goosebumps race down my arms, and it was all I could do not to shiver. I did my best to strengthen my resolve, but my steps faltered slightly anyway. Nythera quickly left, and I knew why. There was so much tension and strain in the air that one could almost feel it crackling if they paid enough attention. I kept my gaze on my feet as I drew closer, not even daring to meet my mentor's gaze. If I were being honest… I was scared of what I would see there.

_Contempt? Derision? Rage? Resentment? Disgust?_

I wasn't sorry I had gone to Amityvale for the second time to confront the Necromantress; far from it. No, my fear was that Warlic would declare that I had let him down—that I had disappointed him in the worst way possible, or that I had shamed him in some way. Even the thought of failing someone I was close to was enough to make me want to just crawl into a big, dark hole in the ground and hide there forever.

I absolutely hated that feeling.

My feet brought me to a stop in front of Warlic, with me still studiously inspecting the grass. His displeasure continued rolling off him in waves as I stood there, still waiting for him to say something that would start the ball rolling.

"I don't need to tell you that I am not happy with your actions." His voice cut like a whip, and I winced. My toes were suddenly fascinating, and I kept my eyes on them. I was scared, what else was I supposed to do? Running away didn't seem like a good solution right now, and crying was unfathomable. "However…"

Strange, how that one word lifted my hopes almost painfully, making me lift my chin a little to meet Warlic's eyes a little cautiously. No, he clearly wasn't content with what I had done, that much was obvious, but now there was exasperation coloring his violet eyes and not just anger.

"… You did what you did with honorable intentions, despite what occurred," he continued, seeming almost resigned. My subconscious began to raise its head, unwinding from the tight little ball it had curled up into. "And if you do not follow through with your actions, I will _not _be pleased."

_Follow through with my actions…? Does he mean…?_

If I had a tail right now, it would most likely be tentatively wagging. I thought—just maybe, nothing concrete—that I might be forgiven. But then, nothing was ever that easy. Whoever said I take the easy road, though? Not me.

"You know what you need to do, but not how to do it," Warlic said, and it seemed to me that he was wondering exactly what he had gotten himself into. "This is where I help you."

"You know where the entrance to Death's Realm is?" I asked him carefully, not altogether sure that I was out of trouble yet. He nodded curtly.

"I will show you, then the rest of the journey is yours to complete. Though Lore only knows what trouble you'll get into along the way…" I almost bristled at the slight against my ability to evade danger (or lack thereof), but let it go. "The only way to Death's Realm—without actually dying—is a portal which only skilled magicians can access. From there, a path runs through his Realm, but walk with care, for not only the dead souls reside where you will be passing through." A chill raced down my spine at his last statement.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that monsters, ghosts, and choice undead also roam the path you will be following. It will not be an easy road."

_I didn't expect anything less…_ I thought wryly as I nodded, absorbing his information. It almost felt normal. "Okay… how long is this path?"

"Long. There is no exact form of measurement in Death's Realm."

_That helps,_ I thought sarcastically. Then I chastised myself almost automatically for the snarky internal comment. _It actually might. Remembering that could help._

"So… When I actually get there… what the hell am I supposed to do? I know I need to find Artix, but…" I trailed off helplessly before barreling on. "I really have no clue as to how to bring him back, Warlic! Grab his dead soul or something by the scruff of the next and drag him back with me? Shake my finger at Death and say 'You've been naughty' before demanding he bring Artix back to life?"

A small smile tugged at the edges of the mage's lips, but he shook his head once. "There is one way, and one way only, to bring a human back from the dead _not_ as a zombie, or a skeleton, or the like. There is only one way to do so and have him still retain his memories, his thoughts, and his sanity," Warlic answered simply. "And even then it is what most people would call a 'long shot'."

"Worst case, we're no worse off than we are now."

"True. Your objective is to convince Death to let Artix come back with you the way you came, and trust me when I say that will take some doing."

"W-what?" I stuttered, stunned. "What do you mean?!"

"I mean what I said," Warlic replied a little testily. "Death has to be willing to let you bring Artix back with you, or else this will not work."

"But—"

"He will require something. Not a physical object, and not necessarily an action. He could ask for the answer to a question, or he could ask for a memory. It could be almost anything."

I grew silent as this realization soaked in. "…And… if I can do whatever it is he asks… I get him back?"

"Almost. Death will then allow you to speak with Artix—or, rather, his soul—and convince him to come back with you."

"What do you mean convince _Artix?!_ I thought Death was the one I had to convince!"

"Artix's soul may refuse to return with you," Warlic said calmly, as though this weren't a vital issue. "If that is the case, then you must return here." I was shocked into silence yet again for a long moment, frightened by the possible outcome if this went badly.

_So… what he's telling me is that if I can't get past Death and persuade Artix to come back to life… then he's gone forever?_

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><p><strong>Like I said, I know you all deserve a longer update, but I haven't gotten much time to write. I'm sincerely sorry about that. However, I promise you all I'll do my best to keep them coming on a regular basis!<strong>

**Let's see, for chapterly advice… when writing about romance, make sure the couple compliments each other! Not just physically, though that helps too, but mentally and in personality. And by compliment, I mean complete opposites—like on the color wheel! Green compliments purple, because they're on the opposite sides of the wheel. For instance, the happy-go-lucky Artix got paired with the antisocial pessimist Magiya. ^^ Make sense? **

**Now, while I make no timing promises for the next chapter, I do promise that it will be long. Long long. VERY long long. **

4 Page


	26. Colorblindness

**So, I promised this chapter would be longer than most of the ones you guys have read recently. I kept my promise. **

**School started back three days ago, and for once I'm actually excited for the new school year (if you take away the fact that I've had two one-page essays already). **

**We had lots of reviews for the last chapter, and I'd like to thank all of you who reviewed!**

**MusicofPoetry12:** _Thanks so much for the compliment, I'm glad you love the story. :) And yes, I've thought about writing a novel, but my first attempt came out so terribly that I've been kind of scared to try again. ^^" I only recently made up my mind that I'll rewrite it entirely, but it might be a bit before I actually do. :3  
>And good luck with your story! I'm glad my writing tips were able to help! ^^ <em>

**Sapphire Silvermist:** _Goodness, when I saw such a long review, I was scared to death that it would be full of criticism! 8D Clearly, I was completely wrong, and I don't know if I've ever been so happy to be incorrect! Thank you so, so much for all of the compliments, I really appreciate them and you wouldn't believe how they boost my little writer's ego! :D  
>And the TWIST: I'm glad you loved the TWIST. XD I slid several in there, so even if I don't know what TWIST you're talking about, you like it, and I'm glad. :D<br>Oh, dear Lord, another Artix fangirl! D8 EVERYONE READING THIS, HIDE! XD Don't worry, I'm a little bit of a fangirl too, I suppose. X3  
>ROCKING ON and KEEPING THE FAITH! *high fives*<em>

**Jellybelly Puffypants:** _I'm happy you like the story! :) Here's the next chapter!_

**MissFiyeraba:** _Thank you so much for the amazing compliments! :D  
>And Love and Loss is TERRIBLE. Possibly my worst fanfiction ever. XD I went back to read it last week and I realized how much of a Mary Sue my OC is! D8 All the same, thanks for readingliking it. U.U _

**hnybnny: **_I agree, the fandom is so small that it can be a little difficult to find ones that hit close to home. :) Thanks so much!  
>And don't worry, in the next Dragonfable one I intend to write, those two will definitely make a guest appearance. X3<br>Also, I can't thank you enough for the __**Favorite Author**__ listing! 8D *tacklehug*_

**Whew, my fingers feel just a little bit numb at the end. XD Now, let's get to the story! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>So… what he's telling me is that if I can't get past Death and persuade Artix to come back to life… then he's gone forever?<em>

I sucked in a deep breath, running my fingers through my bangs. I still wasn't sure if I knew how to do this, or maybe that was just the worry talking. I did know that, given the option, I wasn't doing it alone. I dropped my hand from my hair down onto the furry golden form on my left, absently scratching at Kai's brow. His rumbling purr announced his appreciation of the gesture.

"Can I take Kai with me?" I asked Warlic. "Is there anyone I can have tag along?"

"No," he told me solemnly. "You may take a pet, but that is all. This is _your_ quest, Magiya; you must do it alone, without a friend." I muttered a curse under my breath, smoothing the russet fur down on the back of Kai's head. Even if I hadn't taken somebody with me to help me fight, I would have liked to have someone there. Then again, talking really wasn't completely necessary. Also… this was _my_ mistake, nobody else's. Nobody else had to get hurt because of me… because of me and my stupid-as-hell, antisocial, sociopathic personality.

"Well… can you open the gate or whatever it is to Death's Realm?" I asked him, deciding that bluntness would be the best course here. I really didn't feel like beating around the bush or anything, that just wasn't my style. It wasn't Warlic's, either (most of the time), even though he did it much more eloquently than I did.

"Yes," he replied. "And Magiya, one more thing…"

"Yeah?"

"If I _ever_ catch you trying to use the magic that you tapped into in Amityvale, I will _personally _take your staff and I will _break it._"

The words were delivered so smoothly and calmly that I almost missed them and the slightly terrifying meaning behind them. _He'll break my staff?_ I was rendered speechless for a long minute, shock and belligerence was all I could comprehend. I hated feeling bullied, or like I had only a few limited choices, and right now it felt like Warlic was backing me into a corner.

_Be realistic,_ the side of my mind that had kept me alive so far, _When were you ever going to even venture near that sort of stuff again? _I almost instantly felt guilty, and settled for grinding my teeth as I nodded somewhat shortly, ducking my head.

"Are you ready?" he questioned. I hesitated. I didn't know if I was completely ready to go off on another quest yet or not.

_You're ready for this._ _You can't go your whole life waiting… Sometimes I feel like I'm waiting for something that will never happen. No more of that. _

So instead of remaining silent, as I might have originally, I gave a determined nod. "I'm ready."

The spell that Warlic wove seemed to twist through the air surrounding us, imbuing every living thing in Lore. It was a part of everything, unseen and almost unnoticed, but it was also _not_ there. Whatever it was that Warlic was summoning, it had the potential to suck all of the heart and soul out of anything it came across, and just imagining that I could feel the whisper of it brushing across my ears and cheeks filled my heart with stones. It sank like it was filled with lead. There was something menacing and dangerous about the invisible currents drifting around us, even now becoming tinted with charcoal gray and turning out to be nearly discernible to the naked eye.

Not quite unexplained goosebumps blanketed my arms, all the way from my shoulders down to my wrists. I had felt this before, whatever this feeling was called. It was a much more _potent_ form of the aura that had been surrounding Vayle throughout our last three encounters; the only ones we'd had, thankfully.

The spell was spun like cotton or wool into thread—from something that was all over the place and irregularly shaped into a fine, delicate strand that could be woven into almost anything. In this case, though, Warlic was molding this magic into a spiral, or some sort of vortex. The naked eye wouldn't be able to see it, but to those who had been taught to both see the magic and manipulate it to their will, they could view it if they sort of blurred their vision a little bit and kind of used their inner eye, I suppose. That sounded really corny, but that didn't make it any less true. You had to sort of _feel_ for it, and you could see it.

It had been over two minutes now, and I was beginning to get uneasy with how long this was taking. Sure, important or complex spells could take a bit, but this prickly feeling that currently covered every inch of my skin was clenching the base of my spine, and making me even jumpier than usual. I shifted uncomfortably where I stood, managing to barely see the oval of swirling magic that was gathering before us, whirling with alarming speed. Warlic had once told me that the colors of magic differ for each person who sees it, if only by a little. What might be red for one person could appear pink for another, or burgundy for somebody else. For me, the coloring of the sluggishly forming portal before us was a deep, sinister shade of purple mixed with black and the odd streak of indigo blue.

With no small amount of shock, I looked up at the entranceway to what might be another plane of being. The thing was flat on one side (the side facing us), the dark colors looking like streams of smoke caught beneath a pane of glass. The top of it stretched above my head by at least a few feet, looking to be around ten feet tall, roughly. Its height equaled the height of Warlic's tent. Its width, however, was quite a bit smaller. At the center, where the flat oval would be widest, it was only about a yard wide. The effect of the undulating colors was mesmerizing, almost… Had I not had at least an idea of where this led, I might have been tempted to touch it, maybe just stroke the surface, see if it was as silky as it looked.

"This… is the portal," Warlic murmured, sounding just a little faint. A quick glance at my mentor revealed him to be standing with his head tipped slightly back, looking at the thing he had just conjured. However, his eyes were half-lidded, and just a little bit glassy.

_This took a lot out of him,_ I realized with a twinge of guilt. The logical side of my subconscious immediately refuted that.

_He was going to do it anyway,_ it claimed. _He wants you to go get Artix. _

_Yeah, yeah…_

I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. I didn't want to feel like I was going to chicken out, so to speak, but this was just a little intimidating. I chewed on my lip uncertainly, still staring up at the portal.

"Whatever happens," Warlic told me quietly, "Whatever undead monsters you encounter, ghosts, skeletons, _anything_… stay on the trail. Do not stray from the path." I nodded again, my voice failing me.

_One step into the portal. Once you're on the other side, choices are taken away, making it easier to choose from those still available. _

"Anything else I need to know…?" I asked nervously, unintentionally stalling.

"It is not easy to hold this portal open."

Warlic's voice was a little bit tight, revealing his impatience. I took the hint and stepped up to it. Thin, opaque wisps of nearly black smoke stretched out slightly from the surface of the portal, attempting to wrap around my wrists and knees, trying to pull me closer. Goosebumps almost painfully spread up my back and across my shoulders. I shivered, and tentatively reached out with my left hand. My hands were empty at the moment, something that could easily be fixed if I chose to summon my staff. My fingertips brushed through the surface of the swirling darkness, and it felt like trying to catch smoke. It was eerie.

I took one more short breath, and before I could think twice about it (or for a fifth time, for that matter), I closed my eyes and rolled forward on the balls of my feet, passing through the portal.

For a minute, it was like I had taken a step in a normal place, like you would at home. There was no difference in air pressure, or gravity, or in the air I was breathing. But upon opening my eyes, I knew that Warlic's spell had worked. I recognized nothing. Turning around and around, my mind attempted to make sense of the things I could see around me, identifying each thing as something that was commonly found in my world.

I was standing at the head of a path, and loose trees were scattered on either side. Everything was blurred slightly, as though my eyes were out of focus. I squinted, which didn't help any; my vision was just fine. There were the typical rocks and grass around, but the real kicker was that there were small chunks of the actual ground floating at various distances from the ground. Turning to my left by a step, I could see a head-sized chunk of compacted soil floating at about shoulder height. There were small roots weaving through it, and the occasional pebble or stone. Grass still sprouted from the top of it, though.

And everything was _gray_.

You know how people (pet trainers and breeders, mostly, like Aria and Grams) say that canines (when you find one) are colorblind? Well, seeing things in shades of black, white, and gray was a new experience for me, and frankly, it was stranger than seeing a Cave Hydra slithering around in the Sandsea, or a Mummy traipsing around in the Locker. It made it much more difficult to see when something was moving… Like when you were about to be attacked, for instance.

There was no wind whatsoever—it was perfectly quiet. The only thing making any noise was _me_, just with slightly faster breathing and the quiet shuffling noise that fabric made when it was draped the way a Mage's robe was. Leaves didn't fall. There were no animals, like birds, insects, or squirrels, and not even leaves sparsely scattered on the side of the path stirred, giving rise to my assumption that there was no breeze. Everything seemed to be at a total standstill. Without any other preconceived notions, I might assume that this was what it was like—_would_ be like—if time came to a stop.

_From what Warlic said,_ I thought furtively, looking around myself again, _I need to follow the path…_ _And not leave it, no matter what._ _Not until I find Death, and if I can convince him to let me see Artix… I'm not going home. _

With that thought in mind, I started to walk. I was at the end of a trail, slightly raised up from the rest of the ground, so I followed the winding path from the start. Things may have been perfectly calm, but that's not as comforting as it sounded. I paused, placed my palms together, and slowly moved them apart. Once my arms were as far apart as I could spread them, I had one end of my staff touching each hand, and I lowered the end to the path, feeling strangely comforted by the feel of the worn wood. There was nothing more I could really do to defend myself until something actually _happened_, so I continued to walk.

I walked.

And I walked.

And I walked.

And there was nothing within hearing range. I saw nothing aside from what I had already seen. Instead of letting my guard down, as a few people might have done, it just made even more goosebumps snake down my arms, and if anything, I got jumpier. This place seemed to do that to me… then again, considering where I actually was, maybe it just happened to anything _alive_. It was Death's Realm, after all.

That was about the time that I heard the laughter.

It wasn't the cold, bone-chilling laughter that I'd heard from Vayle—it was almost the exact opposite. It was a child's laugh; a high-pitched shriek of joy. My head whipped around to my right, where it had come from, somewhere within the trees. I opened my mouth to call out to them, then stopped myself.

If there was anyone (or any_thing_) here, it was dead. Calling out to them was pointless. So I snapped my mouth shut, still stationary, trying to peer through the few low-hanging branches in the hopes of seeing the source of the laugh. My eyes then locked onto a small figure, dressed in dull, drab-colored clothing. _A peasant child?_ I harbored no ill will towards those who had less money. I had, after all, started out as one. A mischievous grin was plastered all over his face, and he ran straight into the arms of a woman who, up until now, I had not noticed. She smiled too, a much more motherly smile, and twirled him around once before settling him in her arms. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. She was saying something to the boy, and he just smiled brighter, jabbering something back. His voice didn't exist, either, and whatever he was saying went unheard. My brow creased. Who were they? They both laughed again, this time silently.

Then simultaneously, their heads turned towards me. I froze for a second, wondering if they could see me, and then realized as their expressions turned to one of horror, that this was not the case. I had barely turned to see what they were looking at behind me when a torrent of blinding fire whirled past my face. Moving would mean being burned to death.

_Dragon's fire…?_ From the corner of my eye, a monstrous blue shape was visible. The firelight reflected off of the creature's cerulean scales in the most hypnotizing way, but it couldn't be beautiful when you saw the other end of the deal.

I was forced to watch, unable to do anything, as the mother and her child were enveloped in the surge of the fire. They turned black, and just as I was about to turn away, unable to stomach any more, their forms wavered. All of them; the dragon, the mother, and her child. The edges of their outlines flickered, before they vanished completely, leaving the path and everything around it as it was before.

_They died,_ I thought with a sickening realization that felt like a punch to the gut. _Both of them. That's what I just saw._

_This truly is Death's Realm._

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, so since school started and I'm back on a schedule, I have no promises for the date of the release of the next chapter. I DO promise I'll work on it when I can.<strong>

**Helpful advice… Don't have three dogs that race through the house and knock your laptop off the table and onto the hardwood floor, where the corner gets cracked. -.-**

**No, seriously. That's what happened the other day. **

**On another note, I suggest that you take time purely for yourself about once a week. Get away from all outside contact, and just WRITE. Close yourself up in your room and be antisocial. I call it "alone time". When one of my friends has been at my house nine nights out of ten (which has been happening a lot this summer), I tend to get irritable and snappy, because she's hyper and doesn't let me write. DX**

**So, get Alone Time.**


	27. Demanding Better Half

**Hey, everybody. **

**Most of you probably know of my recent computer troubles, and I'm here to tell you that, for one, I have a new laptop I can work properly on. For two, the story is off hiatus. And for three, My new laptop's name is Eli. :) **

**Let's get to some long-neglected reviews before you rabid readers get to read the chapter. I know it's short, but I needed SOMETHING out there to show you all I've not forgotten you. **

**1DJatD: **_Thank you so, so much for the Favorite Authors listing! *tacklehug*_

**KiasuEurasian: **_I'm glad you like it, thanks so much! :3_

**MusicOfPoetry12:** _I love your extensive reviews, I really, really appreciate them. It's reviews like these that encourage me to keep writing, and I cannot thank you enough. I'm pleased that you are able to read so in-depth to the story, and that you claim my writing to be such that it could place a reader straight into the fanfiction. *glomp* We are officially best friends!_

**CommanderHawke667: **_No, the Rose will not be appearing here. :3 I'm going to make sure that the majority of my Dragonfable fanfictions tend to stay along those lines. ^^ For me, it's a little simpler to keep things the old way. _

**MissFiyeraba:** _Glad you enjoyed it! ^^_

**Jellybelly Puffypants: **_I'm happy you enjoyed the description! :) And don't worry about Artix, seriously!_

**Now, quickly, the chapter, then I am going to bed!**

Feeling queasy, I swallowed hard to keep myself from being sick, and continued to walk. It wasn't that I couldn't believe what I had seen—I had witnessed death before—but it was more the feeling of being too late, and of failure.

_I might have been able to_ _save them,_ I thought, my stomach churning.

_Be reasonable,_ the rational half of my mind chided. _You don't know when they died. They could have died before you were even born. You don't know where they were, who they were, or how powerful that dragon was—is?—or whether you would have died trying to save them. There is nothing you can do for them right now. Let it go. _

Damn, my better half was getting demanding.

It took another moment before I could steel myself to look away. I kept walking, even after I heard that cheerful, completely innocent laugh again.

_It's repeating,_ I realized with horror as goosebumps positively shot down my arms and legs. My grip tightened even further on my staff, but I continued to walk. I would not turn around. I _wouldn't_. I was more stubborn than that…

It wasn't long before I was out of range of the scene with the mother and child, and I was foolish enough to allow my guard to slip. I really thought that would be all I would see along this path. Oh, how horribly wrong I was.

Moments after I was sure that I was finally past the spot where the child's last moments had been, and directly after I thought that was all I would see, I encountered another scene. This time, it was a young woman.

_She can't be any older than I am now,_ I thought with a frown, as well as a sense of foreboding as I quickly came to the conclusion that I might have to pass many more of these scenes. The young woman was in a simple (but elegant) dress, her hands clasped behind her as she walked through the trees. As with the others before, she had no notice of me. She had a calm expression, though, and looked around herself with a pleased air, as though everything was going to plan—whatever it might have been. A small part of my mind kept my feet moving, but I continued to watch as I passed. I discerned a large square of the ground that was slightly different, but did not think anything of it.

But when the young lady fell through the ground with a blood-chilling scream when she passed over that spot, I knew that I had been wrong about the patch of ground being irrelevant.

_It must have been a hunter's trap or something that someone forgot about,_ I thought with a wince as I jerked my head back around. _So that's how _she_ died._

As I kept walking, I passed so many more of these… some that I almost didn't notice, such as a person who died when sleeping on the ground—just a quick nap—to ones that I couldn't remove from my memories, like the first one that concerned the dragon. Then there were a handful of others that I, if truth be told, didn't find so unusual, and some were comparable to those that a warrior might receive in the heat of battle. There was a shallow slice across a man's chest that had cut through the leather jerkin he wore; an arrow through the neck above the armor on an older man who looked as though he had seen too many battles; another man's head wrenched horribly around almost so he could see over his back by a shadowy figure wearing battle armor; there weren't just war wounds, though.

I knew from experience that being surrounded by too much death or big thinking could easily cause a person to fall deep into depression. It had happened to me less than two years previously, and it was also incredibly difficult to drag yourself out of. I forced myself to take another deep breath, wondering briefly if I could force all of the bad thoughts out of my ears.

_Nah,_ I decided after a minute more of walking. _Probably not. After all, if I couldn't shake the feeling the portal gave me, what makes me think I'll get rid of it this time?_

With a slightly rueful head shake, I glanced around me once more, having lost count of how many times I'd done it. It was so quiet, even though now and again I came across another one of the death scenes that made a small amount of noise. Even so, it wasn't all that much. For the first one, it had been the child's laugh. For the second, it had been the young woman's scream. For another, it had been only the sound of the body hitting the ground from a tree limb that was higher up. There was one sound for each death scene that I passed, and it could either raise hairs or make you smile and wonder. I had done both while I had been here, in this gray land. The lack of color was starting to unnerve me, to tell the truth.

I mean, not that I haven't been telling the truth, exactly, but… It's just a saying.

Just like 'I love you'…

With a small, miserable, self-deprecating sigh, I brushed away my long bangs that had been blown gently into my eyes by the breeze.

_Wait a second… There _is _no wind._

When I had set foot into this gray world, with floating chunks of earth and depressing aura, the air had been completely still and heavy, weighing down upon you like some solidified empty space. But that had changed now.

No sooner had I come to that realization than the wind suddenly picked up, and began to whirl around me in a vortex that was steadily gaining speed. It whipped my loose hair up and around, blowing it into my eyes and all around my face. I couldn't see anything, and I was (for all intents and purposes) blind. The whistling gust of air that twisted like some unnatural animal around my position tore at my hair and my clothes viciously, and I felt like it was doing its damn best to tug me clear off the ground. Gritting my teeth, I took a tighter grip on my staff, and turned it so it was vertical, and just barely skimming the surface of that bubble of magic, I slammed the base of it against the ground just once.

This was an old spell, one that each magician who learned to defend themselves was taught at an early age—myself included. It created an invisible barrier, not unlike the one that I had summoned in the fight against Vayle, but with any luck it would at least hold back the wind.

It worked. A bubble that, at most, ranged four to five inches away from my skin swiftly stretched around me, and within that oval, the air was calm. My hair settled, still crinkled where it had been beaten about by the vortex. Without that distraction, I was free to look around and make an attempt to discover the source of the sudden tornado winds. It didn't take long.

A shadow that somehow seemed solid was drifting over the tops of the trees, but the edges of it were blurred—almost as though it were insubstantial.

_What a paradox,_ I thought randomly, warily watching it as it made its way with alarming speed towards the spot where I stood at the center of the cyclone. When it was easily within sight, nearly right above me, it almost looked to be just a swirling mass of cloth, I suppose… like a ratty, tattered black cloak. I glared up at it, not sure whether it was friend or foe.

_Either way, _I thought with a sense of dark humor, _I'm not running from this. I'm done running. _Ready for whatever I hoped it might be, I looked daggers at the black shadow-cloth thing, face upturned. _Bring it, you bastard. I don't know what you are, and I don't give a flying fuck._

…No pun intended, of course, with the flying comment.

Then suddenly, the black _thing_ seemed to fling itself at the ground no more than three meters in front of me, pulling the swirl of air with it. As the wind around me vanished, I dropped the flimsy protective spell that held it back, warily watching the figure that rapidly formed as the more cloth-looking bits fell to the ground. I could make out a head and shoulders, then sleeves, and eventually a long, well-covering cloak that stretched down to the path. The cowl of the hood that appeared was deep, making it difficult to discern exactly what sort of face was within the shadows there. However, when I saw, I took an inadvertent step back.

The face—rather, the place where the face _should_ have been—was nothing but an empty skull with small, red dots in the eye sockets. It didn't scare me, exactly, as I had seen plenty of monsters with a similar face before, but it was the manner in which it had appeared that actually bothered me. _What is this thing…? I've never seen anything like it before._ Warlic's words about different monsters and staying on the path rang through my head, and I wondered briefly if this was one of the things he spoke of.

Then all doubts as to what this entity was abruptly vanished as one other thing swirled from shadows into a solid, becoming a long pole which the skeleton figure lightly closed bony fingers around. The pole developed a long, curved blade at the top end, and I knew who it was I faced.

_Death._

**I'm going to bed. **

**I'll update when I get another chapter barfed out… I can't think very coherently right now. ^^" Don't worry, I won't kill myself.**

**Also, if you've played through a lot of quests in the Dragonfable chain, you may recognize one or two pieces of dialogue between Magiya and this MYSTERIOUS CRITTER she's encountered. **

**So tired…**

**Enough of my blabbering. Night all, and it's good to be back!**


	28. One Puzzle Piece at a Time

**Hey, everyone!**

**I know about 5 chapters back, give or take, I said there were three to five chapters left in **_**Zhi Lao'Hu.**_

**I lied. **

**I meant for there to only be 3-5, then the epilogue, but I ended up splitting one or two of the chapters up a while back so you all had something to read. Anyway, this chapter's a lot longer than a few you've had recently! :3 I've been on a ROLL, I tell you!**

**Let's get to reviews before you run me over!**

**MissFiyeraba:** _*glomp* Amazing, wonderful, fantastic, whatever you call it, you have my gratitude! :D_

**MusicofPoetry12:** _Yes, besties! *tacklehug* I'm thrilled that you can imagine such scenes with my writing! :3 And you're right, good romance fics are hard to find. X3 INSIDE JOKE HAS BEEN FORMED! 8D *thumbs up*  
>Also, were I in Magiya's place, I would probably be absolutely terrified. o.o Going into the land of death, where your life could be torn away at any moment? She's got guts. More than I do, anyway… She's strong. :) *nabs cookies* *hands brownies* Hope you're not allergic to chocolate!<em>

**KiasuEurasian:** _X3 Kiasu, if I could make you fall any _more _in love with this, I would! 8D I feel no guilt for it! But I'm glad you love it! ^^_

**Now that we've got that done, let's get to the part you guys really want to hear about—the chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>I felt like shrinking back, for that was precisely what every cell in my body was urging me to do. <em>This thing is wrong,<em> they screamed simultaneously. _It shouldn't be here! _

I _shouldn't be here, _I thought dryly, silencing the chorus of thoughts that wanted me to run. _After all, how must the… remnants, or whatever they are… think of me? They must think along the same lines. _With that logic, these thoughts were all that made me stand my ground as the thi—Death—straightened up, looking down at me. From the path where I stood to the very top of where its head might have been, it must have measured no less than eight feet. A short tremor ran through my body as I looked up at it. I was not scared, necessarily; it was only my body's physical reaction to being so near something that felt so _wrong_. Nothing more.

I glared defiantly at Death, ready for whatever he threw at me—at least, that was what I told myself. My mind began to coil within the confines of the walls I set for it, twisting and arching like some serpentine thing. For a warrior or a rogue, I suppose it would have been comparable to their drawing their blades. I was ready to fight.

Yet, Death did not seem likely to attack, somehow. Puzzled, I frowned, but did not lower my defenses, for that would have been the height of recklessness. I just wasn't that trusting or stupid.

Then again, the trust issue was what got me into this in the first place…

_Either way, _I thought, _If he _does _attack, I'm not going to be caught unprepared. _

"Do you want to fight me?"

The voice was so entirely unexpected that for a moment, I jerked back. The voice was deep, but not gravelly like Artix's was—this one was more just low, but there was no way you could miss it, because it was also _loud._ It thundered upon my eardrums, like if the ocean waves were held right up to your ear, or if you were right next to a lightning strike. It didn't quite rattle my teeth in my jaw, but it came close. It was a booming voice, and it was voluble.

Turning my attention to the question, I frowned at Death, wondering whether I actually should answer or not. _I need to get him to let me see Artix. Should I try to get on his good side…? On the other hand, it wouldn't exactly help me to stay quiet. _

"No," I said slowly, drawing the word out like question. I still didn't take my eyes off of the huge figure wielding a scythe.

"Then why did you come here?" he asked. If I didn't know any better, I would have said that he sounded almost… irritated, I guess. When I failed to answer, he continued. "Many adventurers and would-be heroes have ventured down here, Mage, and almost all have looked to fight me and defeat me. None have succeeded. So I ask again, why are you here?!"

His voice was loud enough that I wanted to shrink back. It crashed upon my eardrums, and would have made a weaker person than me want nothing more than to cower and hide, and do _anything_ to get away from this being. In short, it was absolutely terrifying. But being silent would protect me no longer, so I chose to spoke. I had nothing to lose, after all. I lifted my chin. If he would kill me, I would not be hunkered down, ready to attempt (and fail) to defend myself.

"My name is Magiya," I stated calmly, refusing to allow the way I felt inside to show. I felt like I was nothing more than a quivering mass of jelly, and I suspected it was mostly though willpower that I kept my knees from trembling. Have you ever had a sudden surprise that startled you very badly, or even enough to make you jump? Afterwards, your knees are shaky, if only a little bit, and it takes a minute for you to return to normal. Imagine that not fading away. "I came because—" I broke off, hesitating. What was I supposed to say? 'I came because I planned to put on puppy-dog eyes to get you to let me talk to the man of my dreams?'

…No. Just no.

No on _both_ points, actually. _He is not the man of my dreams! Artix is irritating and arrogant, and I want someone who is quiet and reasonable! Not someone like him!_

"Did you come to fetch a loved one?" Death queried, and if his voice had been any quieter, it might almost have sounded… gentle. Not sympathetic, and not understanding or considerate. Just gentle. I gave an uncertain nod, alternating between tightening and slackening my grip on my staff. Just as a kid who had just gotten in trouble might wring at the hem of their shirt when they thought they were going to be paddled, I nervously clutched my staff.

"That is what most come here to do," he rumbled. A sort of dark humor radiated off of him.

"What makes me any different from them?" I dared, a little confused at his amusement. "If most people come to bring back a—a loved one, then how am I not the same?"

"You have not issued a challenge, nor attacked me," he replied, the words reverberating through my body.

_When Warlic said you can't miss him, he wasn't kidding. _

"I need to see my friend," I said upwards, feeling helpless. If he said no, I wasn't going home without getting Artix, so I wouldn't be _going_ home. I'd have to try to get past him somehow, and then I would probably die. Therefore, it was on his whim that I would get to talk to Artix. Death gazed at me, that air of amusement still surrounding him. I suspected that he might have been at least considering the idea, and that he might have liked to toy with mortals' lives. When he remained silent, I tried again. "Please! Warlic told me that I needed to talk to you, and if you let me see him, then all I need to do was convince Artix, and—"

"Warlic?" Death interrupted. "That Blue Mage?" I nodded desperately, grasping at straws. _Warlic, I really, _really _hope you're on good terms with this guy._ Death snorted—at least, that's what it sounded like, from what I could tell—before looking down at me with what seemed to be new interest. "I know of Warlic. He has been here before… several times."

_Well, that doesn't sound good. _

"But…"

My heart took a sudden upwards jerk, and I looked at Death with renewed hope. He looked back, and after a long silence, he inclined his head slightly towards me.

"Tell me, hero… what is it that you are willing to do?"

"Huh?" My head jerked back, and my brow furrowed in confusion.

"I said, what are you willing to do? If I grant you an audience with this _Artix_, what are you willing to give _me_?"

I hesitated again. I had heard of all of these stories where a hero's answer would be 'Anything,' and then they would end up either losing their own life or losing something precious to them later on. However, I wasn't sure what I could offer that might possibly interest Death. _What's the price of a Paladin's life in gold?_ I wondered cryptically. _Death has a scythe, he has no need of weapons. I doubt he has any interest in anything magic could offer…_

In other words, I was stuck. So I answered all that I knew—the truth.

"I don't know," I murmured sincerely, dropping my head slightly. "I don't know what I have to offer you to let me see him. I don't know what the embodiment of the thing that all people fear could want."

Death paused, seeming to consider my answer. "You have a strange mind, Mage," he finally thundered. "You are not like the others."

"Uh… Thank you?" I guessed, and I heard what might have passed for a chuckle. It was more of a gust of wind, though.

"If I let you see him, little Mage… will you give me a favor?"

I almost burst out with 'yes,' but bit back the answer that was on the very tip of my tongue. What could he want as a favor? And when? Why would he choose me to require a favor from? But finally, desperation won out.

_Enough questions,_ murmured the gentler side of my mind. _This is the best—and likely _only_—offer you're going to get. Accept it, get Artix, and get out._

"Yes," I responded decisively (but still with reluctance), lifting my chin just a little bit. Death nodded, seeming satisfied. Turning partially away from me, he lifted one arm, pointing further down the path that was straight as an arrow. His tattered black sleeve fell back a little bit, revealing a skeletal hand. There was no flesh, no skin—just bones. Goosebumps raced down my arms.

"You will come upon a fork in the path not much further on," he said in his low thunder of a voice. "Take the left road."

I nodded slightly doubtfully, before edging past him when he didn't budge. I walked two or three paces, and then I turned. _It might make sense to thank him… after all, he didn't obliterate you on sight._

But Death was gone. There was no trace of where he had been. Hairs lifted on the back of my neck, and I turned back to the way I had been going, breaking into a run. The sooner I got out of here, the better. This place was creepy.

_Well of course it's creepy,_ muttered my logical side snidely. _It's the land of the dead. Dumbass._

Undeterred, I continued to run along the path. My arms moved in tandem with my legs, with my left arm going forward when my right leg did and vice versa. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, even though it wasn't very loud, and I didn't slow down. I passed a few figures standing just off the path, within the pine trees, but I sprinted past them without a second glance. They were beyond my reach now, and I could not help them.

I forced my feet to slow down as I came upon a split in the road. It wasn't hard to see, exactly, but it almost ran under the radar. At first glance, it might appear as though the track had just _ended_. However, as you drew closer, it was clear that this was not the case. The path went forward for another few meters, and then it split, going at a right angle to the left and right. Stepping forward just a little warily, I peered down one direction, and then the other.

_If there's anyone—or any_thing_—down there, it will probably be off to the side of the road… looking both ways before you cross seems pointless. _Cautiously, I stepped around the corner of the path, taking the left turn. _Assuming Death didn't give me fake information as to where to find Artix, he should be around here somewhere…_

After a minute or two of walking, I felt a slight tremble run under my feet—not unlike that of a boulder falling. It reminded me briefly of the shudder that had shaken the ground when Horidon had been defeated by none other than—

"_Artix?_"

I saw him then, dodging around trees in his path as he raced towards an unseen enemy, sword drawn. With a pang, I saw that the Paladin was already spattered with the blood that had covered him the last time I saw him. His face was twisted into an expression that was not just angry, but furious. Artix was thrown back by something that I could not see, and his feet slid to a stop in the pine needles. He stopped moving for a moment, breathing harder.

"Who are you?" he spat angrily, his upper lip curling. I didn't hear a response, but I can't be sure if he did either, because a second later, he repeated the question with more venom. "Who the _hell_ are you?!"

"Artix," I murmured, my shoulders drooping as I watched. I don't remember what happened in Amityvale, but I had a pretty good idea from watching this. Almost less than a heartbeat after, he spoke again, but this time in a more demanding tone.

"No, I don't! Why are you doing this to her?"

I felt another lance of pain shoot through my chest as I realized that Artix had only ever been worried about me… and I had most certainly done the exact opposite. It was shaming, to say the least, to realize the person who did nothing but watch out for you was killed your own hand, whether you were in your right mind or not. I sucked in a breath as the pain worsened.

"_Because I love her!_"

I could remember… vaguely… just a flash. The white that had been surrounding me… _that_ I could remember. I recalled… a voice. It broke apart the white. It was just for a moment, but it had. And that was the voice that I had heard.

_He… loves me?_

_Really?_

Suddenly, Artix leaned back just a little bit, with his free hand covering his eyes as though shielding them from some bright light. Just as he was lowering his arm, he was hurled back as though struck by an iron fist, and he was thrown back against a low, partially broken-down stone wall that I had not noticed before… but that I recognized. I could do nothing as he crashed into the low wall, and winced in sympathy as his unprotected skull cracked against the smooth stone. This was the first time I was seeing what had happened to him while I had been possessed by Vayle, and the shock that _I_ had done this assaulted me once more. The guilt approached silently, ready to pounce on my mind at a second's notice, but I didn't let it. I shoved it away as violently as I could, closing my eyes to Artix. His body was beaten and broken—exactly how I had last seen it.

And it hurt.

Taking another short breath, I took the first step towards where he lay, wondering what would happen when I walked into the memory—illusion? Whatever it was—and tried to get his attention.

However, no sooner had I left the path than the Paladin began to move again. He twitched, making me stop in my tracks, then he lifted his head and blinked the glassiness out of his eyes. Slowly, he began to sit up, looking around.

I had woken up after he had been thrown against the wall. This was not part of the memory, because this part had not happened. This was him. This was real.

Copper-colored eyes flicked around the forest, and then latched upon me. Now that he was no longer trapped in his own personal hell, I guessed that Artix might have been a little disoriented. He frowned, puzzled, as he gazed at me. His eyes were slightly wider than usual, and with some effort, he pushed himself up into a sitting position against the wall. He looked down at the hole in his armor, understandably confused. He looked back up at me as though searching for answers, but his gaze was a little more guarded than it should have been.

I suppose it made sense. After all, I had been the last person he had seen when he was alive, and I had been the one attempting to kill him. To see me back to normal somewhere he didn't recognize must be more than a little bit offsetting.

"…Magiya?" he asked softly, appearing lost. He still seemed to be putting one puzzle piece together at a time, and if I were in his place, I probably would be, too. I nodded once, forcing myself to take another few steps towards where he sat.

"Hey, Artix," I said quietly, not exactly sure of myself.

"What… what happened?" he questioned. His voice was music to my ears, despite the rough, gravelly tone to it.

_Like gravel wrapped in velvet…_

"I don't know where to start," I finally admitted, gingerly taking a seat beside him on the pine needles. Artix must have decided I wasn't being controlled, because some of the caution in his eyes faded, and his shoulders dropped slightly. His body language was a little more open, I would say.

"Well," he said with a shadow of a smile, "The beginning's always good."

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><p><strong>Well, I tried to make it long and cram as much into this chapter as I could. :) I hope you all enjoyed it, and I'll see you in a couple weeks with what will probably be the final chapter in this tale! :D Yes, readers, Zhi Lao'Hu is drawing to a close!<strong>

**I DO promise that unless you're sadistic and want Artix and Magiya to die, you'll LOVE the epilogue. ^^ **

**For writing tips, if you're stuck, write drabbles until your writer's block goes away! Write sentences, paragraphs, oneshots. If you don't plan to keep them, then completely disregard all logic! It's a drabble. It shouldn't **_**completely **_**make sense! It's just a scribbling of ideas and fantasies…**

**Until next chapter, dear readers! :)**

**Juliet**

**EDIT: Please, if you don't mind, when you finish reading this, could I ask you to vote on the poll on my page? :3 If you'd like the Dragonfable fanfictions to continue after _Zhi Lao'Hu_ is over, then I need to know where to start. ^^ It's just a simple poll, asking who the next male protagonist of the following fanfiction should be. Thanks! :)**


	29. Must Be a Girl Thing

**So, we have at last reached the final chapter of Zhi Lao'Hu. U.U I have to say, it's a bit like seeing an old friend off to Russia from Idaho or something and knowing you'll never see them again. **

**Of course, the difference is that this is a fanfiction, so I can always go back to it. :) And don't you worry, there's still just a **_**little**_** bit to go—the EPILOGUE. **

**Quick, reviews!**

**MusicOfPoetry12:** _I think Wowness should be a word… heck, I'll add it to the Word dictionary right now! BESTIES! *glomp*  
>Well, Magiya has spent so much time convincing her convoluted mind that she hates Artix that it's still a little difficult for her to accept, I guess. ^^ You never really fall for the person of your dreams… you fall for someone else, and then <em>they _become the one of your dreams. :)  
>I'm glad you like the tips.^^ I was worried that a lot of them sounded kind of redundant. o.o<br>Yes… *sniffle* The final chapter, not counting the epilogue. *pats back and hands tissue box* And there was no need to threaten Warlic, he wanted the two of them back and together just as much as we did! :D _  
><em>Oh, I'm glad you're spreading it around! :D What section did you show your friend? :3 And thanks so much! *tacklehug*<em>

**MissFiyeraba:** _Haha, I'm glad you're enjoying this so much! ^.^_

**CommanderHawke667:** _For these guys, no, there will be no sequel. I wish I could say that there would be, but I know that if I try, I would muck it up. :) The characters write the story, and I can't think of another HUGE plotline for them that would not COMPLETELY focus on romance, and not leave everything in Lore out of it. ^^_  
><em>On the upside, their relationship will definitely be at least REFERRED to in the next Dragonfable fanfiction! :D<em>

**KiasuEurasian: **_I like to think of Artix as a 'glass half full' kinda guy. :) I think it fits the dialogue assigned to him in the actual quests. :D Besides, people who can find good things that are completely unrelated to the situation are the best kind! ^^ _

**Jellybelly Puffypants:** _Thanks! :) Just to avoid any confusion, Magiya already knew that Artix had said that. ^^ Those little scenes are just replays of the dead's last moments of life. I actually had to go back and get the dialogue from the part where he was fighting/shouting at Vayle, so that I could recreate that. :) Besides, Magiya never saw any of that. She only ever heard that last line. :)  
>On another note, it makes me really happy that people pay enough attention to what I write to notice little things like that! :D<em>

**Now, picking back up where we stopped with the last chapter!**

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><p>"<em>I don't know where to start," I finally admitted, gingerly taking a seat beside him on the pine needles. Artix must have decided I wasn't being controlled, because some of the caution in his eyes faded, and his shoulders dropped slightly. His body language was a little more open, I would say. <em>

"_Well," he said with a shadow of a smile, "The beginning's always good."_

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><p>So I told him.<p>

I told him _everything._

I told him how I saw him at our first meeting—as someone who only saw a damsel indistress—and how I thought he was just another one of those egotistic heroes. He saved me, and when I should have thanked him, in its place, I decided to mark him as my enemy.

At this point, I paused, and I _did_ thank him for that. Artix just smiled, and motioned for me to continue.

I wove for him a tale of a distrustful young woman, who bit at anything that tried to get close to her. She was cold, hostile, bitter, and angry. She had seen too much of the bad side of Lore to be trustful anymore, and saw everybody else as her enemy. It was only through her stubbornness and determination to not give up that she survived at all. Her outlook on the world was bleak, and she was a 'glass half empty' kind of lady.

But then she met a boy. He was a man, actually. He was a Paladin, and had a heart of gold to match. He looked after others before he did himself, and was one of the best men that the woman had ever met. He flirted and talked to her, tried to impress her, and was just charming in general—not to mention, he was actually kind of cute.

Artix grinned at this, but he remained quiet as we sat there, and let me finish. I appreciated it. If I was interrupted now, I would probably never be able to finish the story.

Everything she thought about him then, everything she noticed about his habits and his speech patterns—in short, everything she noticed about every other person she gave a damn about enough to notice—I told him everything, right down to the details she noticed on his armor.

"And after all that," I said quietly, resting my forehead on my arms over my knees, "She still hurt him. He had done nothing to her, but she still reacted like a cornered dog, and lashed out at the man. She… she didn't know anything about his past, or how he had come to be the way he was, and she didn't care. It didn't matter to her. To her, it didn't make one bit of difference that she had hurt him. She was going to move on, and have nothing more to do with the Paladin," I continued, almost inaudible. "But her very best friend, whose opinion mattered more to her than almost anyone else's, told her that… that she would die alone, and that no one would care, because she never let anyone in."

I had to stop, then, because going much further at the moment would result in the tears in my eyes that I didn't want him to see spilling over. My forehead was pressed against my arms hard enough that my hands were falling asleep, and there would likely be a red spot in the center of my brow. Artix said nothing, but he did rest an armored forearm across my shoulders. …I was glad for the support. This was almost as hard for me to tell as it was to experience again. I took a shaky breath, and went on.

"The woman went to apologize to the Paladin, after finally understanding herself and the fact that she had fucked up. She felt positive—better than she had in weeks. Everything seemed lighter, somehow. But… she never got the chance that she needed to apologize to the man. She was almost there. She was _so close…_ but then a sl—Necromantress took over her mind and body, and she didn't get the chance to fight back."

Artix listened without interrupting as I told him everything I could remember after I had exited the woods in Amityvale. It didn't amount to much. It was just the white… and pain if there was anything that was close to resistance or free thinking. I described it as best I could to him, and I didn't think I was doing very well. I'd had no sight, no hearing, no touch—just my mind and the flat white.

In the end, though, I think he might have begun to understand (at least partially, if not fully), and I was able to move on. I skimmed over what happened after the first real battle with Vayle, in part because I didn't want to touch on painful memories and also because I didn't honestly think that part was especially relevant to our conversation.

Well, a one-sided conversation, really. It was more of a tale that I plaited and twisted for his imagination to devour. But… just talking, and not doing anything else… it was really relaxing for me, a lot like meditation might be for someone with a calmer personality. As it went on, it seemed just a little bit easier, I suppose, despite the topic. We were, in my opinion, past the part that was hardest to talk about.

I skipped over the details of my fight with Vayle—there was really no reason to go into them—and Artix didn't press for them, for which I was grateful. I had a bad habit of clouding painful or undesirable memories from my consciousness, and having to comb my recollections of the final confrontation would not have helped that.

So I moved on to my return to Warlic's field, and momentarily reminisced on how upset he had been with me, allowing myself a short grin. Artix grinned too, a little wider, and I was quite sure that whatever I had done, he must have done something just as bad (if not worse) sometime before the point where I had met Warlic. Just the idea of him getting in even more trouble made my grin a hairsbreadth wider, and then it faded almost completely as I resumed the story. Warlic had created the portal for me, and I 'forgot' to mention how much of an effort it had taken to make myself cross through it.

Just once, I tried to give Artix a mental picture of the kind of scenes I had passed while walking down the path through Death's Realm. Even now, it did not seem like such a large task, having to walk past all of those death scenes, but the one that had affected me the most… This was the one I told him about. I guess there was some slightly twisted part of my mind that wanted him to know that I had done a lot to come get him, and I had suffered when in Death's Realm.

Maybe it was just some part of my unacknowledged master plot to get him on my side so I could convince him to come back. That would just wrap up this whole goddamned enchilada.

"There were these… remnants, I guess," I said in a slightly softer tone as I addressed this topic. "They were in the woods, a lot like you were… but they kept dying, over and over and over… and this one, it was a woman and a boy… and he was just a kid, Artix, he… he didn't need to die…" I broke off.

_I shouldn't be getting all emotional about this. I wasn't before, I shouldn't be now. There's nothing I can do for them, right…? Right._

That was right about the point when that master plot became acknowledged. I realized that I was almost accidentally trying to soften him up so he would agree to something more easily—in this case, going back with me.

…_Must be a girl thing…_

I let it go for the moment. I ducked my head slightly, looking at my staff on the ground through my upper legs. My hands were resting over one another while my forearms were settled comfortably on my knees. I opened my mouth once or twice, internally debating on how to continue.

_So, Artix, I'm just going to drag you back with me, like it or not! _I thought. _Yeah, that will work,_ I then added sarcastically. Had I said it aloud, I would have muttered it under my breath while scrubbing the heel of my palm across my forehead. _What now…?_

"So…" I said quietly, lifting my head uncertainly. Artix lifted an eyebrow.

"So?"

I shot an annoyed glance his way. He just grinned shamelessly, tapping his fingers playfully across my opposite shoulder. I had almost forgotten his arm was there… it felt comfortable. Strange, but… nice, in a way. Still, though, after so long doing my absolute best to avoid him, it felt off. _I came this far to get him… I think that this might be… okay?_ I abruptly leaned into him with enough force to bump him, and he laughed. It brought a slightly shy grin to my lips as well, and I snickered once or twice before it faded.

_Hm… Okay?_ I mused. _Is it really okay…?_

_Well, _I_ think so. _

"Come on," I said, rising to my feet. I seized his forearm and attempted to pull him with me, but all that ended up happening was me tugging helplessly on his right arm while he remained sitting against the half-demolished stone wall. Artix just watched me with amusement, and his all-too-innocent grin demolished into chuckles as I fell on my butt a few feet in front of him, having lost my grip on the smooth armor that covered his entire… well, his whole body. Still sniggering, Artix got to his feet by himself before reaching down and pulling me up.

"One thing's for sure," he snorted, not even _trying_ not to smile, "You still haven't gotten any stronger."

"Shut up," I grumbled crossly. "I get all the way here, and I'm being _nice,_ and _this_ is what I get?"

"Oh, don't be mad," he said cheerfully, putting my arm in the crook of his elbow as he started to walk us back towards the path. I scowled at him, but it carried no weight. I still felt just a little uneasy. I wasn't used to this… just _talking_ with him, going back and forth completely normally, like a typical… well, 'couple' wasn't the right word. Pair of people? No, that sounded weird.

_I give up on that, _I thought stubbornly. _I've done enough lately to warrant a little bit of freedom to refuse to think about something…_

I really expected something to happen when we reached the path that went in a painfully straight line through the woods. But to my extreme relief, nothing happened—nothing necessarily bad, anyway. The rents in his armor slowly began to smooth over, and he began to _heal_. The scratches mended, and the pewter-colored metal he wore was restored to the pristine condition that I had previously seen it in. I kept my eyes open as we went, though, whether I thought there was something or not. I didn't trust this place, and in my mind, it was with good reason. This was the place where Death hung out and sucked the joy from people's lives, making them completely lackadaisical.

_Wait a minute… _lackadaisical. _Lackadaisical… lackadaisical…_

"Artix," I pondered with a frown as we turned around the only corner that had been on the path, "Lackadaisical… what does that mean to you?"

"_My_ definition or the official one?"

"Either."

"Well, the official definition runs along the lines of 'lazy,' or 'demotivated.' Something like that."

His answer made me slightly suspicious of what _his_ definition might have been. "And yours…?" I asked warily, pulling my head back a bit. Artix considered it briefly.

"Well, on first thought, my definition would probably be 'cheerful,' 'happy,' or 'carefree.' That answer your question?"

"Not exactly, but it does prove me right about one or two things." He raised an eyebrow.

"And what would they be?"

Clearly, Artix wasn't expecting me to be anything aside from my guarded, slightly uptight self. That said, it was going to be fun to surprise him. I fought to keep a straight face as I replied:

"Well, that you're a nutcase, of course."

That was about when I started running.

I raced along the path back the way I had come, pushing my legs to go faster. I lost the poker face I had, and a grin split my lips. I heard footsteps behind me, and looking back over my shoulder, I saw Artix was quickly catching up, and with a quick laugh, I turned my head back around to make myself go faster. The gray trees blurred past, and as I ran with him chasing me, my laughter got louder and louder, and I could hear Artix laughing too. A sense of giddiness enveloped me, now that this whole ordeal was almost over. My heartbeat sang, feeling like it might fly right out of my chest. Up ahead, I could see the familiar place where I had entered Death's Realm.

Somehow, it felt wrong to be this happy in a place like this, but I couldn't help it. It had been so long since I had smiled or laughed this much, and… it felt nice. Well, not just nice, but _good._ It felt right. So I just completely disregarded that little voice that had gotten me into this whole mess that told me to stop laughing, and bludgeoned it with a rock. Artix caught up to me just as I leaped through the shimmer in the air that was this side of the portal, and we tumbled onto the other side.

And that was how Warlic saw us when he released the magic that held the portal there—in complete hysterics, practically piled on top of each other, and unable to stop laughing. We must have been quite a sight… but I didn't mind.

I had fixed what I meant to fix. I patched up the problem I had caused. And that was as it should have been.

* * *

><p><strong>Ahh, the ending of a good story is a lot like losing an old friend… <strong>

**But if you don't want to see the end of these two, don't worry! You won't! We still have the epilogue to go! :D **

**Also, could I ask a few of you who haven't already to vote on the poll on my profile? :3 I need to know who the main male protagonist should be for the next Dragonfable fanfiction. ^^ I already have an entire plot planned out for ONE of them… but the extent to which I'll actually get into writing that particular one depends on the poll results! ;D **

**Thanks for reading, and I really hope you all enjoyed. ^^ The final farewell note that authors usually write will be seen at the end of the epilogue… keep your eyes open! :D**

**Juliet**


	30. Epilogue

**12-12-12: Okay, an edit from after the story is ended! :D And WOW, what a date. o.o Anyway, I found a poem in English III that works SO WELL with Magiya's personality. :) **

_"We wear the mask that grins and lies,  
>It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,-<br>This debt we pay to human guile;  
>With torn and bleeding hearts we smile<br>And mouth with myriad subtleties._

_Why should the world be overwise,  
>In counting all our tears and sighs?<br>Nay, let them only see us, while  
>We wear the mask."<em>

**But yeah, I just wanted to share that. ^^**

* * *

><p><strong>Hey, everybody.<strong>

**Welcome to the (WITHOUT EXCEPTION) last bit of **_**Zhi Lao'Hu.**_** There will be no more. No sequel, no extra parts… this is it. Seriously. Here we go, the final reviews.**

**MusicOfPoetry:** _Magiya's certainly back to her anti-socializing personality, for sure… And yes, you can use "wowness" now. :)  
>The poll will probably be open for another good week to two weeks, at least. XD I'm hoping to get the result I like best… it's kind of like asking someone else the question you already know the answer to because you don't like the answer and you're hoping it will change. ^^" I'm guilty.<br>*tacklehug* I really am SO THRILLED you love my story that much. Funny thing is about Chapter 5, a LOT of girls I've known think a similar thing when they make a mistake in front of a cute guy. XD  
>Anyway, the ending. *pats shoulder* Don't worry… they'll make an appearance in the next fanfiction. Not a big appearance. They're not the major stars. But they're going to show up as a couple, so don't worry. :) And you're right… True love never dies.<br>But damn, is it one elusive little shit._

**Arieta41:** _You know how we all love happy endings. X3 I love them just as much as anyone else, I guess. :D And here you go!_

**Jellybelly Puffypants:** _In your position, I would have squealed too. X3 And trust me, everything is more than "okay" between those two… promise. ;D Like I said, no sequel. They're going to show up in the next fanfiction, though! :)_

**CommanderHawke667: **_I don't know about a sort of "antagonist X OC" relationship… o.o I don't usually write villains all that well. Vayle here was a stretch for me. DX But let me put your mind at rest—though it will certainly be considered, if it is chosen, it will be a long time in coming. :3 No promises._

**Unwillfully-Indescribeable: **_You're not the only one who's sad it's over and done with. :( But I am honestly ecstatic that you liked it so much, and that I MIGHT have been able to change your mind about Canon/OC fics. ;D  
>*high-fives* *glomps* It's wonderful people like you who stroke my little author ego. :3 Thank you so much!<em>

**KiasuEurasian:** _*hands hankie* Don't worry, you've not seen the last of me! Muahaha!  
>And yes, actually, I was. :) Very astute! Somewhere in the author's notes in the beginning, I mention the meaning behind the title, and a direct dictionary quote. ^^ A paper tiger is someone who puts on a fierce front, and is not nearly as tough as they claim to be. :) This is one of those rare instances where the author discovered the truest possible name for the story.<em>

**And, sadly, the epilogue fast approaches. However, at the end, you will find there is one small loose end that has not yet been tied up…**

* * *

><p>"Lackadaisical. <em>Lackadaisical.<em> Lacka_dai_sical."

"Artix, would you _please_ stop saying that word?!"

"What word?"

"_That_ word!"

"Lackadaisical?"

"Grrr, would you just _stop it?_"

"Well… just this once, I suppose I could show mercy…"

"_Yes! _Thank you!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms out to either side theatrically. Artix and I were both walking side by side down the main road in Falconreach, and we were _still_ discussing… that word. "It has been a _year. _I don't know if you can go one day without saying it! I'm sorry I even brought it up! I am so _sick _of hearing that word, I swear to Lore, if I hear it _one_ more time, I'll—"

"Lackadaisical."

"Oh, that is _it!_"

With a furious growl that was more of a shriek, I leaped on his back and wrapped my arms around his neck from behind. I didn't have much of a plan at all, really, except maybe strangle him from behind. I wasn't carrying my staff at the moment, and I think it might have been for the best, because I would have had to drop it to do this.

"Ow, Magiya, get _off!_" Artix yelped, his steps halting. I promptly tightened my grip.

_It's a good thing he's been helping me get stronger, because under normal circumstances I would never have been able to do this. Looks like it's working against him._

"No!" I shouted childishly. With some effort, Artix managed to unhook my death grip around his neck, and from there it was an easy step for him to pull me off and set me on my feet again. I crossed my arms until my feet hit the ground, pouting. I glared at him, but for Artix, my usual glare had lost its power long ago. A little over a year ago, in fact; not long after I went and fetched him from Death's Realm. It was late spring now, and it had been very, very early spring then.

A lot can happen in a year, I reflected as I gave up my glare, huffing and looking away. Artix grinned that shameless smirk he always had ready to use (and mind you, it's a very lethal weapon), and without a second thought, grabbed my hand as he started walking again. I didn't even blush anymore. It felt perfectly normal. I walked with him, still kind of put out.

Okay, maybe a _lot_ put out.

Artix chuckled when he saw my face again, and asked, "Are you happy?"

I grunted.

"That is very unladylike," he chastised without really meaning it.

"Fuck you."

"So is that," he laughed, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. "And watch your language, there are kids running around."

"It's springtime," I said bluntly. "The people here breed like bunnies. What makes you think there _won't _be children all over the place?" I asked rhetorically. I shuddered, and added, "Snot-nosed, disease-carrying vermin…" Artix gave me a scandalized look. At this, I shot him a questioning glance. "What? I don't like kids. At _all._" I may have felt bad for that kid I saw in Death's Realm. I still did. He didn't need to die.

I just never wanted _any_ kids of my own. Some women were cut out to be mothers, what with their perfect, caring personality. I simply wasn't one of them.

"Kids are a gift!" he exclaimed incredulously.

"A gift from the devil…"

"Magiya!"

I huffed. "Artix, I don't put up well with kids, alright? Why they seem to think I do is beyond me."

"A lot of things are," he put in dryly, earning him a light slap on the back of the head. I say light because I still couldn't hit very hard at all. Artix chuckled in that deep tone that you'd think you would feel more than hear, and pulled me off the main road under a tree. It wasn't one of those short ones, but it was one of the trees that was all twisty and perfect to climb that had pink blossoms flying _everywhere_. I don't know what they're called, and I don't care. I just like them. Artix twirled me around until my back was against the trunk, then just grinned that sinful smile, resting his forehead against mine. I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?" he asked in amusement. I shot him a scathing glare. He knew very well what I had said.

"I said you're a fucking idiot," I repeated in a sickly sweet tone. But despite the antagonism, I felt a returning smile starting to curve my lips. Artix smirked again.

"And there's the smile I was waiting for," he whispered, gently pressing his lips against my own. I did as I usually did, making him work for a moment before I responded, deepening the kiss. He had referred to it before as a 'game'… I don't know _what_ he's talking about. His lips were firm, but not unpleasantly so—just enough that mine molded perfectly around his. My fingers crept up lightly to tangle loosely in his copper brown hair, and after a moment, we pulled back. I couldn't even glare at him anymore. "You are so beautiful," he murmured as he gently placed a tiny kiss on my nose. "You know that?"

Right about then was when one of the aforementioned snot-nosed, disease-carrying children ran up to us. _Dear Lore, save me…_

"I know you guys!" he chattered excitedly. He didn't look particularly cute or impressive, with dull, muddy brown eyes and short hair that looked like it had gold highlights. He looked to be maybe seven or eight, at best guess. "You're a Paladin and a Mage! I know you guys, I know you! Artix and Mag-giya!" He stuttered over my name, but it didn't really bother me. A lot of people got my name wrong if I didn't say it for them.

"Hey, kid," Artix said with a friendly grin, kneeling down to the boy's height. He maintained his light grip on my right hand, however, and that sent a small thrill of happiness through me. I allowed a slightly shy grin to dart across my lips.

"Oooh, can I ask you something?" a little girl asked, running up to stand next to the boy. She had bright red hair and a light spattering of freckles, but the eyes that lay behind her bangs were a stunning emerald green.

"Sure," Artix replied, flashing a smile at the girl. She giggled and blushed a little bit, then her enthusiasm bounced right back.

"When are you guys gonna get married?"

I froze, and so did Artix. There was a beat of dead silence, and then his grin widened. My silence was not a good silence. His silence meant that he was plotting something.

Evil bastard.

"Well, we were thinking sometime in late fa—_oof!_"

"What he means to say is," I covered quickly with a smile that felt sort of cracked as I knelt down too, hopefully hiding the fact that I had just dropped my shoulder and driven it will all the force I possessed into his ribcage. I don't think it worked, but I didn't much care. I continued, "That we don't know when—or if—we're getting… you know." I ended it with another one of those fake smiles that seemed to satisfy them, and the two children beamed.

"I hope you do," the little redhead chirped.

"Me too!" the boy said gleefully.

With that, their short attention spans were spent, and they raced off somewhere else. I rocked back on my heels, sitting with my back to the tree trunk before inspecting my now-throbbing elbow. I glared at Artix, like it was all his fault it was hurting.

In a way, it was.

_It's already bruising, _I thought irritably. I shot a poisonous scowl in the Paladin's direction, mentally growling at him while at the same time asking if he could fix it. Without a word, Artix smiled, pulling one of the red health potions from nowhere. He tugged the cork out with his teeth and rested his free hand on my left cheek, lifting the rim of the bottle to my lips. It reminded me briefly of when I was (more or less) vulnerable in the Hydra Caves. Still glaring daggers at him, I took a small sip of the red liquid from the bottle, and felt the nearly unpleasant tingling begin to accumulate around the general area of my right arm.

"Thanks," I murmured unwillingly as Artix replaced the cork in the bottle, offering up another smirk.

"Come on, then," he quipped, holding both of my hands and lifting me almost effortlessly to my feet again. I felt a grin start to spread across my features as Artix gently pulled me along with him as we walked. I jogged until I was even with him, and we continued to walk as we had before we were distracted.

Of course, had I been able to see the grand scheme of things, maybe I wouldn't have been so carefree. In another dimension entirely, Fate was spending time in Death's company. The two were siblings, only two of four; Death, Fate, Time, and Life. They watched us, and looked down on us, for they were greater beings than we, and far more powerful.

At the moment, Fate and Death observed us curiously.

* * *

><p>"<em>That female made a deal with you, didn't she?<em>" Fate said softly. Death wasn't her favorite sibling, but the two got along surprisingly well—after all, they worked together flawlessly.

"_She did,_" Death confirmed. "_What does it matter, sister?_"

"_I was just wondering… with how happy they both look, are you ever really going to collect that favor? Wouldn't you rather see them happy like this?_"

"_No, I wouldn't. I had that Paladin, and… well, her offer was tempting._"

"_They could save the world, you know. They did it once before already. You have that Necromantress in your grasp now, thanks to them,_" Fate reminded her brother.

"_True," _Death conceded,_ "But still… I _always _call on favors. Maybe not today, and maybe not soon. But I will, of that there is no doubt…"_

* * *

><p>THE END.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>And so, dear readers, beloveds of mine, we have reached the end.<strong>

***sniffs and wipes eyes* Seriously. Last night, I actually cried. **_**Paper Tiger**_** is my BABY.**

**I don't want kids. I NEVER want kids. But this story is, I think, as close as I may ever get.**

**And I'm fine with that.**

**I cannot thank all of you enough if you read, commented, or in any way supported this fanfiction. I will be eternally grateful to all of you. In fact, let me just give a quick shout-out to a couple people I would love to hug right now if I could meet them! They'll know who they are: Michelle and Arieta. :) You guys kept on boosting my poor little author's ego in the last third of the fanfiction, and I can't thank you enough.**

**Yeah, without everybody, **_**Zhi Lao'Hu**_** would probably be finished anyway. But it would be much shorter and take longer between chapters, and it would completely lack the emotion and feeling that so many people tell me I can pack into a fanfiction.**

**I owe so much to so many people… my mom, my friends, hell, even my dogs. I just can't write it all here, because it would take so much time that I really don't have right now. My heart goes out to everyone who helped me finish **_**Zhi Lao'Hu**_**.**

**Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.**

**Well, one other thing… I wanted to interview our stars before we go. ;D Ready? *shoves Artix and Magiya into the room***

* * *

><p><strong>M: <strong>_..._**  
>A: <strong>_She's happy to see you, really. _**  
>M: <strong>_*glare*..._**  
>A: <strong>_*grin* She loved being the star, she just doesn't want to admit it. Just like she doesn't want to admit that right now, she would rather be locked away with me in a tower, having us doing nothing but-_**  
>M:<strong>_ *slams hand across Artix's mouth* YOU SHUT UP. YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW._**  
>J: <strong>_*singsong* Methinks that Magiya doth protest too much._**  
>M: <strong>_Will you all just shut up!?_**  
>A: <strong>_No, of course not! Why would we, it's much more fun doing this!_**  
>J: <strong>_*ducks brick* Look, the whole point of this was-*WHAM*_**  
>A: <strong>_What Juliet was trying to say before she got bricked is that this was supposed to be the star interview! But clearly, Magiya doesn't want to do it! _**  
>J: <strong>_*rubs head* *mutters* Magiya doesn't want to do anything_**.  
>M: <strong>_You're the one who made me like this, J! Can't you just go POOF and make me all nice and caring?!_**  
>J: <strong>_*grumble* No, I can't, because that would really screw you up._**  
>A: <strong>_You mean more than she already is?_**  
>J: <strong>_Exactly._**  
>M: <strong>_SHUT UP._**  
>A and J simultaneously: <strong>_**No. **_**  
>M: <strong>_*glare* WHY?_**  
>J: <strong>_A), you have a message to deliver, B), I'm the author._**  
>M: <strong>_What, so that gives you free reign?!_**  
>J: <strong>_No, it means you're going to give the message to the readers, THEN you can go home. _**  
>A: <strong>_*grin* Aw, come on, Magiya, it's not that bad.  
><em>**J: **_He's right. I could be having you dance the Macarena with Cysero, or being Lim's assistant for 48 hours._**  
>M: <strong>_... I'd rather take Cysero.  
><em>**J: **_I know, but that's not an option right now!_**  
>M: <strong>_*grumble* Why can't Artix do it?_**  
>A: <strong>_I died in the story, babe. I may be a major character, but I'm not the main charrie.  
><em>**M: **_*mutter* Stupid authors... fine. *ahem* Readers, Juliet would like me to thank you (since she doesn't have the guts to do it herself) for reading Zhi Lao'Hu. Now you can all go die in a hole.  
><em>**J: **_*slaps forehead* It wasn't quite what I asked for, but considering how long it took us to get here, I'll take it._

* * *

><p><strong>And it DID take us a long time to get here, readers… I'm just sad that it's over, yet at the same time, it feels like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders. It will probably be a while before I actually start writing andor put up the next Dragonfable fanfiction, no matter how much I have planned out. Next time… I think I'll write almost everything before actually posting it, so you all won't have to wait as long. :)**

**I love you guys.**

**Sincerely,**

**Juliet, signing off.**


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